Golden Gate (1993) - full transcript

MARILYN: There was once a man
who transformed himself into an angel.

This is him in 1952.

It was his twenty second birthday.

He'd gotten it into his head
that he was a killer in
the looks department.

And I guess that's all it
takes to convince most people.

He had one of the best
jobs in the world.

He was with...

Don't tell me. FBI.

What gave me away?

Attitude maybe.

It's my, uh...First day?



MARILYN: His name then was...

Kevin Walker.

You've been waiting for me.

RECEPTIONIST: Third floor.

MARILYN: On that day,
he met his partner,
Ron Pirelli.

Ron was making a name
for himself as the life
of everyone else's party.

I grew up in New York City.

Every day I open the Herald,
I see pictures of G-men.

They're coming in and out
of the Stork Club,
dames on each arm.

Every size and hair color
you can imagine.

Wait a minute,
how many different
hair colors are there?

Two FBI men
out on the town?

We are going to have
a great time.

[JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING]



It's communism, see?
We're fighting communism.

We're protecting your right
to wear those frilly little
dresses,

with your little
low-cut tops like that.

Those beautiful
knockers of yours
practically falling out...

Hey, hey, hey!What?

You can't tell a girl
her knockers are
falling out of her dress.

All right.
Dumb, dumb.

She might put them back in.

Also, it's not classy, right?
To draw attention to her jugs
like that.

That's one way of putting it.

Okay, forget the jugs. Kevin,
how can I forget the jugs
when they're all around me?

Why aren't they all
swarming over here?

Don't they know who we are?

Hey, hey,
get a hold of yourself.

Now, you go over that
one more time, okay?

Right.

It's communism, see?

We're fighting communism.

Do you wanna dance?

My name's Kevin.
What's yours?

Cindy.

But you can call me Cynthia.

Is your friend okay, Kevin?

Too soon to call.

Hell, I just met him.

Why, you were watching him?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

CYNTHIA: Justice.

What do you think
about justice?

KEVIN: I'm all for it.

No, really, I mean,
you're with the FBI
and everything.

And you went to law school.

Do you believe that
law is more important
than justice,

or does justice
win out over law?

In the case of a conflict,
which do you choose?

Has nothing I've done
over the past hour had
the slightest effect on you?

No, but I'm thinking
about you.

Thanks.

No, I'm serious.

I'm trying to figure out
how I feel about you.

So it's very important
how I answer this
question, then?

Yes.

If law and justice
were in conflict,
which would you choose?

Justice.
I would pick justice.

Law?Kevin!

Justice, I would pick justice!

I think that's wonderful.

So do I.

[MOANS]

CYNTHIA: Now, I'm curious
about communism.

This country is
the greatest country
on Earth.

Hold it right there,
buddy! FBI

MARILYN: Those were
the early days when
he could do no wrong.

For a poor boy,
this was the city

where life was a party
and the lights blazed hot.

Of course, sooner or later
every light burns out.

What do you know
about the Chinese?

A few live in
my neighborhood, sir.

Yes, but they don't
act Chinese, right?

I'm talking about
the real Chinese.

The ones that live
15 to a room
and can't speak English.

Their women look great.

You should get married,
Pirelli.

I'm having too much
fun being single, sir.

There happens to be
120,000 Chinese in the US.

Twenty-five thousand
in San Francisco alone.

What do we know about them?

Their customs are different.
Their language is strange.

For all we know it's true.
The stories about a maze
of underground tunnels

crisscrossing Chinatown.

Here's what we do know.

Their country has
fallen to the commies.

Little yellow men are now
actively trying to infiltrate
our borders.

I think it's time we found out
what's going on with
our local Chinese.

I'm sending you boys
to Chinatown.

MARILYN: Chinatown.

The land beyond
the borders of civilization.
Behind the walls of Tong.

Just like China,
it was a world that
was torn in two.

A world with its own angels
and its own devils.

[SPEAKING CANTONESE]

The business of the Chinese
people is business.

Who the hell do these
Communists think they are
to take away business from us?

They tell the Chinese guy,
"Here, we put rice
in your mouth,

"now you go and work
for the good of your brother."

[CHUCKLES]

You think that Kai Ai is
going to even bother to
get out of bed in the morning?

You take away greed
from the Chinese people,

you take away everything
that makes us great.

You know,
I am not the only one

holding this type of
deep philosophies.

We want to help you
get the commies.

Excuse me, Chen Jung Song?

FBI. We'd like to have
a word with you.

Hey, you speak any English?

English? You speak?

It's not funny, boy.

Slow down, pal,
or you could be
in big trouble.

I'm stopped.

Maybe I didn't recognize
you were calling my name.

You're not Chen Jung Song?No.

Song Chen Jung.
In Chinese, you say
your last name first.

Where were you headed?

I was on my way to
the post office to mail
a letter to my mother.

That against the law?

We're interested in
your activities with
the Chinatown Hand Laundry.

Yeah, I work in the laundry.
It's a nice clean living.

[LAUGHS]

We have reason to believe
that this is more than just
some social club.

That you're distributing
subversive literature.

Yes, some of my buddies,
we get together,
compare brands of soap.

Were you responsible for
the strike last November

leading to the five cent
an hour wage hike?

There's murderers
all over the city,

and you are worried about
the cost of doing laundry?

You, what's your name?

Me? I'm Agent Ron Pirelli.

In America, we say
the first name first.

So, Ron, how is the spaghetti?

What spaghetti?

The spaghetti you left
on your shirt.

[CHEN JUNG SONG LAUGHS]

I hate that guy.

It seems like everyone
can find commies but us.

May I pose a question?

It's always
the highlight of my day.

Well, what if...
I mean, just
what if there

aren't any Communists?

What are you saying?

Well, just...Look, Cynthia.

The name of
the country is Red China.
The people are Chinese.

The place is called Chinatown.
What else do you need to know?

Not all Chinese
are Communists, Ron.

CYNTHIA: Tell him about law
and justice. There is
a difference, you know.

Oh, excuse me. I guess they
just passed over that during
my three years of law school.

You know, it is no wonder
you can't get a date.

Hey. I can get a date
anytime I want!

Hey, hey. Kids.
Please, please.

Would you bring her
a cherry Coke?

We got a one-woman
China relief fund here.

Look, we're not saying that
all Chinese are Communists.

Just some of them.

Mmm?

It so happens that
a lot of girls think
it is very attractive

when a man stands up
for what is right.

Not anyone I'd wanna date.

Believe me. No one is
going to get indicted without
the proper evidence. Okay?

Ron, I got a bad feeling
about this.

It's obvious that someone
like Chen Jung Song has
strong Communist ties.

The evidence we need
for an indictment just
isn't coming through.

Look at this
editorial he wrote.

Some baloney about
the struggles of
the Chinese workers

being the same
all over the world.

We can't lock up a guy
just for writing that?

Yeah, there's this thing
called the Bill of Rights.

We should be able to
find our own loop hole.

Like when Hoover collared
that Ku Klux Klan guy
in Louisiana.

What was his name?

You mean Kleagle Clarke?Yeah, Kleagle Clarke.

He couldn't get a conviction
the normal way, so he caught
him transporting a minor

across state lines
to hump her.

Or the way they got Capone.

[IMITATES MACHINE GUN]

You're under arrest
on 22 counts of federal
income tax evasion.

And sending money home
to your mother in China.

What did you say?

I don't know,
I was just thinking.

It is a crime to engage
in any trade with Red China.

And according to this ad,
Song's group has a service

to send money to relatives
in China via Hong Kong.

Now, strictly speaking,
that's illegal.

Yeah, you're absolutely right.
Stupid idea.

Listen, if I come up with
one like that again,
punch me before...

Kevin.

Like we're going to prosecute
people for supporting
their mothers.

Kevin.

Yeah, real American.

Kevin, you're a genius.

It's part of a great
FBI tradition.

What, you mean find
the law to fit the crime?

Holy moley. Guess who's
on the phone with Collins?

Jane Russell.

KEVIN: I don't know.
We give up.

The director.

AGENT: I think he's kind of
steamed about not getting any
indictments.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

[SPEAKING MANDARIN]

[PEOPLE LAUGHING]

JUDGE: Order. Order.

I will not tolerate outbursts
in my courtroom.

Did you prepare
for contingencies,
Agent Walker?

JUDGE: And this witness,
Mr. Snyder.

Does he even know
why he's here today?

With all due respect, I don't
believe his understanding
of legal procedures...

I don't think he knows
why he's here.

Can you ask him
if he knows
why he's here.

[SPEAKING CANTONESE]

He says he's happy to see
how American justice operates.

And it beats washing dishes.

[ALL LAUGH]

JUDGE:
I'm releasing the accused.

Your honor...

JUDGE: And
I'm throwing out
this case, too.

Frankly, Mr. Snyder,
as we proceed through
these indictments,

the government's case
gets shoddier and shoddier.

JUDGE: Next.

SNYDER: This case
is clearly...

The defendant also
participated in rallies...

...in Taiwan.

JUDGE: Next.

MAN: And can he
get reimbursement

for the bus fare
back to Chinatown?

[CROWD LAUGHING]

JUDGE: Order! Order!

The case is dismissed.

[SPEAKING CANTONESE]

You ready to go home?

Hey, yeah.

[LAUGHING]

CYNTHIA: You know,
your kitchen is
really amazing.

You should at least
buy yourself a pot.

But fortunately, I'm nothing
if not resourceful.
There's chicken soup,

and there's ice cream
for dessert,
sort of happy food.

How could I?

What the hell
was I thinking?

Dumb! Dumb!

[SIGHS]

I'm sorry your cases
got thrown out of court.
Some judges are just stupid.

What the hell do you know?

Look, Cynthia,

we tried to convict those
people for sending money
home to their parents.

Of course the judge
threw it out.

Did you know
what you were doing?

Did I know?

The entire plan
was my bright idea.

I'm all washed-up.

[SIGHS]

I guess you just didn't
realize what you were doing.
That's all.

And it seems like
the only person who was
hurt by this was you.

I'm just happy
you told me the truth.

No more legal shenanigans.

No more innocent Chinese.

That's a promise.

Oh, angel, save me.

I'm trying my very best.

You wanna be taken off
the Chinatown case?

Yes, sir.
If that's at all possible.

Possible?
Everything's possible.

Hell, all these physics
fellows, Einstein and all,

they tell us
the universe exists because
everything's uncertain.

I feel I got off
on a bad foot
in this matter.

You know what
all these are?

Well, I assume
they're legal paperwork.

From 33 indictments.

Every last one of them
thrown out of court.

How would you like each sheet
here stuffed down your
cowardly little throat?

I wouldn't like
that at all, sir.

Let me tell you something
about the Bureau,
Agent Walker.

You do not spew refuse
all over your area and expect
someone to clean up after you.

That's a rule I thought
you would have learned
in summer camp.

I didn't attend
summer camp, sir.

We have built a wall,
Agent Walker.

Constructed entirely of
the public's faith in
our irrefutability.

Once you shatter
this confidence,

the standards of law
and order disintegrate.

Subversive elements
exploit the chaos,

until this entire nation
descends into the jaws
of Godless anarchy.

Sir, it may be possible

to resubmit
some of the defendants
on charges of conspiracy.

MRS. CHEN:
And this guy, he tell me
that he can take my money,

send to China.

Show me ad in newspaper.

What do I know?

I simple woman.

Make cookie.
Sometimes sweep floor.

So I give him my money.

How much, Mrs. Chen?

One-hundred-fifty dollar.

And the man who recruited
you for this scheme,

can you point him out to us?

Him, Song Chen Jung.

That guy is trouble.

SNYDER: State your full name
for the record, please.

KEVIN: Kevin David Walker.

Thank you.Agent Walker,

could you tell the court what
you discovered in your audit

of the Chinatown
Progressive News.

Agent Pirelli and I found
check stubs establishing
advertisements purchased

on 12 occasions
over a two-year period

by the defendant,
Mr. Chen Jung Song.

SNYDER: The witness
identifies...

I thought you were at work.

I got the day off.

See, miracles
really do happen.

And what were the
contents of these notices
purchased by Mr. Song?

They advertised
the operation of

a hand laundry
money service by which

Chinatown residents
could send money to
their families in China.

SNYDER: Let the record reflect
that such smuggling of funds

out of the United States
and into Red China constitutes

a violation of the
United States code, Trading
With The Enemy Act of 1917.

Kevin?

Kevin, what's
going on here?

Cindy, not
right now, please?

Don't call me Cindy.

You told me you were
gonna change your ways.

Look, can't you
see I am busy?

You said you were through
chasing innocent Chinese.

What's innocent?

Can we discuss this later?

Kevin, it's never too late
to say what you really feel.

Agent Walker, would
you like me to repeat
the question?

No.

That won't be necessary.

I believe Mr. Song was
deliberately encouraging
the Chinese community

to circumvent American law,
given his past political...

Objection, Your Honor,
this is the purest
speculation.

Question withdrawn.

SNYDER: Now, when you
and Agent Pirelli
approached Mr. Song

on March 17th, 1952,

inquiring about his
activities with the
hand laundry association,

how would you
characterize his reaction?

JUDGE: Has the jury
reached its verdict?

FOREMAN: Yes,
we have, Your Honor.

JUDGE: Will the clerk
read the verdict, please?

CLERK: Number 52,
United States versus
Song, Yip and Quan.

We, the jury,
find the defendants
Chen Jung Song,

Terrance Yip
and Timothy Kwan

guilty as charged
in the first count
of the indictment.

Guilty as charged
in the second count
of the indictment.

Guilty as charged
in the third count
of the indictment.

Guilty as charged
in the fourth count
of the indictment.

Guilty as charged
in the fifth count
of the indictment.

Guilty as charged
in the sixth count
of the indictment.

[WOMAN LAUGHING]

[JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING]

You know, I feel really
confident tonight.
I really do.

Where's Cynthia?

She'll be here.

You know, I gotta tell you,
she can be a real sulker.

You know, maybe she
should wear more makeup.

Sometimes I think
she's holding me back
from running off a cliff.

Other times,
I think she's
just plain holding me back.

When she starts going off
on one of her moral
crusades? Holy moley!

You know, if I listened
to her, I'd be frying
burgers at some drive-in.

Or worse yet,
working for the ACLU.

Did you see this?

You showed it to me
10 minutes ago.

Yeah?Yeah.

Well, anyway.
You're not just
anyone anymore.

She's got to realize that.

Lots of girls
are gonna be
going after you.

Hey, you, too.

Yeah, me, too.
I know, I know.

Now that you mention it,
excuse me.

Hey.

Where've you been?
Everybody's been
asking about you.

You make me look bad.

Come on, let's dance.

Kevin, I can't
stay with you.

Jesus, is that
what you tell me
on a night like this?

You're a very
deceptive person.

And of course,
you deceived me.

Look, it's complicated.

Is it our fault we couldn't
find any hard evidence
on those Chinamen?

The Untouchables,
they couldn't find any
hard evidence on Capone,

but it doesn't mean
he wasn't a gangster.

I can't believe these
things you're saying.

Can we talk
about this tomorrow?

I don't wanna talk.

Well, what the hell
do you want?

[MUSIC STOPS]

Do you still love it
when I do this?

Yes.

Yes, I do.

You know, angel,

sometimes you think
too much.

That's why you need
a guy like me.

Someone who only thinks
from time to time?

[LAUGHS] Very funny.

Hey,

you know, if you play
your cards right,

this guy might just
ask you to marry him.

That's what I'm afraid of.

I couldn't say no.

No, you can't.
Can you?

Can you?

Cynthia,

do you wanna get married?

Yeah.

Someday.

I hope you have
a wonderful life.

But I can't trust you anymore,
and trust, it's a horrible
thing when it goes away.

You pray and cry,
but it never comes back.

Cynthia, how can
you do this?
Are you crazy?

Goodbye, darling,
and good luck.

[MUSIC RESUMES]

Hey, my friend, Trisha,
wants to meet you.

Cynthia!

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

Cynthia!

Angel!

What...

What are you doing here?

Who are you?

Why don't you go home?

Cynthia!

Cynthia!

Cynthia!

MARILYN: She will
rescue the sick.

She will tend to the needs
of the battle weary.

If a ship is lost at sea
with 100 men,

only one need call her name,

and all onboard will be saved.

[MEN SINGING EARTH ANGEL]

It's great
to be back.

MARILYN: In 1962,
Song Chen Jung was released

after 10 years in prison.

MAN: I'm supposed
to wear a hat.

I told him, who wears
hats these days

but South American
dictators and FBI agents?

MARILYN: By 1962,
the man had a new office.

He was 31-years-old.
And he had learned to smoke.

[PHONE RINGS]

This is Walker.

Kevin, have a seat.

I'll be with you
in a minute.

So, how's Trisha
and the kids?

Julie went to
the dentist yesterday.
No cavities.

He says it's because of
the fluoride in the water.

What do I know?
I just pay the bills.

Chen Jung Song.
Sound familiar?

Sure, it sounds familiar.

I lost a girl over it,
remember?

So, get to the news.
I got the Meese Bank fraud,

and a murder
in Fresno waiting.

He's out of prison.

We got to put him back
under surveillance.

It's your assignment.

Ronnie, to call
this guy small-time
would be a compliment.

Kevin, are you slow today?

No, just stupid.

He's a felon.

Convicted of trading
with an enemy power.

We keep all of them
under surveillance.

This was your case.

Our case.

Besides, I don't see you
developing a sudden taste
for egg foo yong.

He's out of prison
and you're going back.

To Chinatown.

[DOOR CLOSING]

[SPEAKING CANTONESE]

[SPEAKING CANTONESE]

[SPEAKING CANTONESE]

You got raise.
You got a raise.

You know your problem?
Too much trouble!

Shit.

What's your problem,
little girl?

I'll swoop down
and rescue you.

[MAN RANTING]

[CLATTERING]

[YELLING INDISTINCTLY]

[SPEAKING CANTONESE]

What are you looking at?
Go home!

[SPEAKING CANTONESE]

[SOBBING]

Let's go home, Papa.

MARILYN:
On his 32nd birthday,

the man decided
he'd had enough.

On that day, he decided
that life did not have
to be so hard.

Perhaps he could move
the father and his daughter
to another city.

Where they could
all begin again.

He would become their angel,

and would love them
and protect them.

And they would
have a new life.

Fuck you, G-man!

G-man, I say
I fuck you!

I fuck your
cripple mother!

[SOBBING]

I fuck your eyes out!

No, no, listen to me.

Why are you
following me?

Please. Please,
I want to help you.

'Cause I'm a Chinaman.

That's the one
and only reason!

Fuck you!
Fuck you!

Will you shut up
and listen to me?

I curse you!

I curse you become
a Chinaman!

No longer human!No!

Stranger to your own skin!

I can change everything!

No.

No more changes.

I make my own
change now.

You Chinaman!

No!

[RINGING]

[MONK CHANTING IN CANTONESE]

Excuse me, miss?

May I have a
word with you?

You were at
Papa's funeral.

You saw me?

Relatives were still
coming up the next day
asking who was that kwailo.

I'm sorry, kwai-who?

Oh, it means white devil.
Oh, don't take it personally.

Thanks.

I knew your father.

I just want to express
my condolences.

Yeah.

Thanks for
catching up with me.

I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to...

It has been nice
meeting you Mr...

Walker.

Walker.Kevin Walker.

I'm really sorry about
what happened to him.

Yeah, well...

We're all sorry, okay?
But let's just
leave it at that.

I gotta go.

Can I borrow
your notes? Thanks.

I'll bring the notes
Friday. Promise.

All right.
So talk.

I knew your father.

Do you have anything
to add to that?

I just want to help
in some way.

I'm afraid there's
nothing to be done.

He's already
in the ground,
Mr. Walker.

[SIGHS]

Look, can I help you
with your tuition,
your books, anything?

I just... I want to...

Oh, God.

Who are you?

I am...

I am...

I don't know whether
I should be alone with you
in an empty stairwell.

Goodbye.

I'm a lawyer.

I work for the
public defender's office.

I used to make the
rounds at San Quentin.

Where your father
was interned.

I got to know him
while he was there.

He was a good man.

He wasn't a criminal,
your father.

He wasn't spying
for the Reds.

All he did was

help hardworking folks
send money back to
their families in China.

No one told me
any of this.

What did you
think he'd done?

Mr. Walker, when someone
in the Chinese community
goes to prison,

no one bothers to ask
questions like that.

Shame is not a feeling
we talk about over dinner.

You just can't
leave it at that.
Do you understand?

You've gotta
try to know him
in a different way.

I tried that already.

He didn't seem
very interested.

Maybe he just gave up.

This is my number.

Though you don't seem to
have any trouble finding me
without it.

MARILYN: And so he began
to tell her of the father
she had never known.

Weaving a thread he hoped
would not soon break,

he gathered information
from diverse sources

and from them
he formed a picture

of a man he began,
at last, to understand,

whose spirit he was now
breathing into his own body.

KEVIN: I found this
in his records
at the prison.

He looks so alert,
so full of hope.

I only knew him
when he was
old and broken.

But this boy,
he's got the
eyes of a warrior.

He was a fighter, your dad.

He was the type who...
Who organized workers
for justice.

But in the end,
they all turned
against him.

He couldn't take that.

What would you call it?

Shame.

Hey, you know, they don't
teach this in law school,
but it's...

It's a scientific fact that
sugar's good for anything
that ails you.

Is that so?

When I was growing up, my
grandparents used to make the
same claims about hot water.

Hot water? Holy smokes,
you've lived a hard life.

...and the agent looks at him
like he's crazy and says,
"What spaghetti?"

And your father replies,
"The spaghetti that's on
your shirt!"

[BOTH LAUGHING]

Hey, Red,
a vanilla malt
for the lady.

RED: Coming up.

I'll tell you, it's hard
to find a decent malt
in this city.

A lot of the diners now,
they use powder

with additives a guy can't
even begin to pronounce.

But mark my words,
if we don't hold out
for the real thing,

this country is going to be
drowning in chemicals
by the end of the decade.

[GIGGLES]

You don't believe me?

Future generations of kids
won't be able to tell a malted
from a milkshake.

You want to try first
to be sure?

There's only one straw.

That's okay.

Mmm. Excellent.

Mmm. Excellent.

Thanks for the photo.

I don't suppose you'd be
interested in going out for
hot water sometime, would you?

For you?
I'd drink hot water
and like it a lot.

Come here.
I want to tell
you a secret.

Sugar works better.

Mmm.

Amazing.
I feel better already.

So, where do you come from?

I come from a
little corner of heaven
called Columbus, Ohio.

[CHUCKLES]

Did you live on a farm?

No, that's a stereotype.

Not all Midwesterners
just fell off the back
of a hay truck, you know.

Okay, I did live on a farm.

But it was only
for one or two years.

[SPEAKING MANDARIN]

You're gonna eat that?

It's a delicacy.

Delicacy?

Cripes. Looks like they left
the nails on and everything.

[GIGGLES]

Wish me luck.

KEVIN: When your father
came out of prison,
you took care of him.

I thought it'd be my last
chance to get to know him.

I know he loved you.

Did he ever say
anything about me?

I think he said that

he was sorry

and that he'd done his best,

that he wanted you
to forgive him.

Hey, this used to be
a swinging joint where

a guy and a girl could take
a spin out on the dance floor

and fall in love
just like that.

Doesn't look like
it's used much anymore.

Do you, uh...
Do you know
how to dance?

MARILYN:
She will rescue the sick.

She will tend to the needs
of the battle-weary.

If a ship is lost at sea
with 100 men,

only one need call her name

and all onboard will be saved.

What do they call her again?

Kuan Yin.

Kuan Yin?

Kuan Yin.

Goddess of mercy.

No?

Pig's finger.

[GIGGLES]

Kuan Yin wasn't always
the goddess of mercy.

She used to be
an ordinary girl.

But when her father
burned down her convent,

she saved his life anyway.

And that turned her
into a goddess.

So it's possible for ordinary
people to become immortal?

Yeah. Through self-denial,

sacrifice, constant love.

It's a lot of work.

[SPEAKING CANTONESE]

[SPEAKING CANTONESE]

Where on Earth
did you learn that?

Sometimes I just
pick things up.

Are you sure you're
not really Chinese?

I could be Chinese.

I could be immortal.

It's all a question of will.

But if you spend
too much time
being Chinese,

you'd never want to go back.

Go back to what?

Being a regular American
can be downright embarrassing.

When your father
was convicted, hell,

they splashed it all over
the papers like it was VJ Day.

Really?

No one ever told me that.

Don't believe everything
you read in the papers.

It's an ancient
Midwestern proverb.

[LAUGHING]

Resignation?

What is this bullshit?
I ought to tear this up
right now.

Don't even
think about it, Ron.

I want to quit.

Besides, I stopped smoking
and that officially
makes me employable

in the outside world.

I've noticed you
picking up bad habits.

Next I suppose you'll
be eating vegetables.

Look. I'm sorry
I assigned you
to the Song case.

Why? I sure as hell ain't.

'Cause you were a damn good
agent before you decided to
become an honorary Chinaman.

Don't think your recent
efforts to trash your career
have gone unnoticed.

You send this upstairs
and your desk will
go flying into the street.

Before, you were
a pain-in-the-ass slob
who solved cases.

Now you're just
a pain in the ass.

I guess that means
I'm dressing better, huh?

Don't pull a stunt like this.

The stunt was
sticking around
for ten years.

You know, after a while,
you get tired of the circus.

You can keep my floppy shoes
and the big red nose.

I'm not gonna
send this upstairs
for another week.

Just think about it, okay?

MARILYN: Once,
I shared with you
my only heart.

Today, I write my name
on your walls in blood.

You thought of me as Kuan Yin.

Now remember me
by my new name.

Fa Mulan, the woman warrior.

She is the one who takes
her father's place in battle.

Let this be his revenge.

His bloated ghost rising
from the waters of the bay.

His sword deep in your heart.

And so the man waited,

unable to be near her,

unable to end the pain
he had caused.

And six years passed.

♪ And your mind, your mind

♪ Is so full of red

♪ Don't you want
Somebody to love

♪ Don't you need
Somebody to love

♪ Wouldn't you love
Somebody to love

♪ You better find
Somebody to love

♪ Your eyes
I say your eyes
May look like his

♪ But in your head
Baby I'm afraid
You don't know where it is

♪ Don't you want
Somebody to love

♪ Don't you need
Somebody to love

♪ Wouldn't you love
Somebody to love ♪

It's disgusting.

We've always tried to keep
the Bureau up to date

on potentially
troubling developments.

The Bureau appreciates that,
Dr. Meisner.

Please, call me Buck.

We must say though, Buck,
that not all of your
university colleagues

have been
similarly forthcoming.

Screw them.
You know something?

They just want to be
popular with the students.

Frankly, some of them are
not above violating
a few moral prohibitions

with undergraduate co-eds.

That's disgusting.
We'd like those names
if possible.

Well, it's all pretty much
rumor at this point.

That doesn't preclude it
from being fact, Dr. Meisner.

Look, you wanna tell us
what's on your mind?

It's after 1:00
and I skipped breakfast
this morning.

Oh, well.
You've been keeping tabs
on the SDS,

the Weathermen
and the Panthers and
those fellows, right?

Well, there's a new group
organizing on campus which
I suspect will interest you.

The Oriental students.

Now, this problem probably
wouldn't exist anywhere else
in America.

But here, almost 15%
of our student body
is of Oriental descent.

Maoist study sessions?
This is disgusting.

MEISNER: Well, I think
it's safe to assume

that some of them
have relatives
in Communist China.

Who knows who's
really pulling
the strings?

You have a Chinese girl
teaching in your law school.

Oh, yes. Yes.

Pretty girl. Marilyn Song.

Yes, she's one of
the faculty sponsors

of this very organization.

Do you have a file on her?

Kevin, is that the one?

If she thinks she's getting
tenure monkeying around
like this...

Agent Walker prosecuted
her father.

For being an agent
of Communist China.

It was one of
his biggest cases.

Really?

It was a long time ago.

Well, the apple doesn't fall
far from the tree.

Or should I say,
the cherry blossom

doesn't fall, you know...

WOMAN: ...so I was American,
wasn't I?

But my friends,
they would say weird
things to me, like,

"Confucius say" or,
"No ticky, no washy."

[ALL CHUCKLE]

I didn't know what they were
talking about, so I just
laughed, too.

I figured there couldn't be
anything wrong with them,
it must be me.

And what were
they telling you?

Excuse me?

Your so-called friends.
What was the message
in their medium?

You mean, that I'm Oriental?

Asian. Orientals are carpets.

[ALL LAUGHING]

You mean,
that I'm not American?

Right on.
Right on, sister.

They say we're not American.

After we were born here?

[ALL LAUGHING]Got laid at the same
drive-ins.

Threw up on Coors.

Watched the same lousy
Godzillamovies dubbed into
English. Hey!

BRADLEY: You can't absorb
that much bad culture
and not be a real American.

[CLASS LAUGHING]

If I'm not an American,
we should all just go back
from where we came from,

especially the dudes
from Europe.

Otherwise,
get the facts, Jack,
this is the face of America.

WOMAN: Right on.And so is yours.

And yours.

And yours.

Well, maybe I just want to see
your passport sometime, okay?

[ALL LAUGHING]

Now, anyone else got other
examples of how the system

institutionalizes these
kind of stereotypes?

Oh, come on, now.

The longer whitey
shuts you up,

the longer you remain
his victims.

It's been many years

since I allowed myself
to remember,

but once I knew a man
who loved this country

and no one would believe him
because of his face.

Until finally,
he just lost hope.

Go on, sister.

Anyone got a hanky?

My father was a laundryman
in Chinatown.

And when my mother died,
I moved to Stockton to
live with her parents.

My father was a very serious
man, didn't want children
around...

So, you never tried
to follow up.

Nail that FBI guy's ass?

How do you know
I never tried?

All I can do now
is keep working
in the mainstream,

so one day, someone
might actually believe
this Chinese woman

who dares to
accuse the FBI.

That's what they
want you to think.

That the system is so solid
you can't even make a dent.

Well, the system is rotting
from the inside out.

One good kick, it could
all come toppling down.

What are you talking about?

The courts won't reopen a case
like this. Not after 15 years.

The courts.
Don't make me puke.

If we want justice,
we'll go directly
to the people.

You know that slope girl?

She's one hot dish.

You really got to date her?

It was a long time ago.

[WHISTLES]

Wish I'd get an assignment
like that.

She can fry my wonton
anytime she likes.

Are we finished, Agent Byrd,
or would you like to take
your dick out

and wave it around the office?

Anyway, I think because of
her story, their next target
might be you

and the entire Bureau.

Right, Sherlock. And what
about this Ichiyasu character,
we got anything on him?

How about these slope names?
Why'd they make them
so hard to pronounce?

No, I checked him out already.
He's 28 years old, he's
a political science student.

You know, they left together
after that meeting.
Him and your girlfriend.

You gonna go check him out?
You want a little
backup here?

Stay here, Byrd.
Play with your comb.

MARILYN: Did you do
the Chinese translation
yourself?

I suckered some honky
from the Asian Languages
department.

Bradley, I think this says,
"New Moon Restaurant
grand opening."

What? It says what?

[GIGGLES]

Fuck.

You just can't trust whitey.

I'll have to make up
a new batch.

Why didn't you tell me
you could read and write
Chinese?

Why didn't you ask?

Some of us do know
the language of our roots.

Hey. I've been
studying Japanese
three semesters now.

Is it my fault I can't
do better than a C-?

Do you really think
anybody's gonna care?

Hey. People care.

Even if they don't
know it yet.

See, no one's happy.
Deep in their hearts,

everyone wants
to burn it all down.

You think you've got it
all figured out, don't you?

Good guys, bad guys,
who's who.

Let me tell you something.
Life is a lot more complicated
than you can imagine.

Hey, put that away.
It's illegal.

[SCOFFS]
Illegal? That's cute.

You're really something.

So what are you
trying to tell me?

This fed guy, years ago?

You kind of liked him,
didn't you?

I hate him.
I hate that bastard.

But you liked him,
you liked the bastard.

Hey, baby,
it's not your fault.

We're all conditioned
to love the oppressor.

Look on TV.

All the heroes just happen
to be the same color,
have you noticed?

You always did have
too much feeling
for whitey.

You need to relax a whole lot.

There's a reason
they made this stuff
illegal.

[COUGHING]

That ain't it.

BYRD: And I am telling you
we can collar this Ichiyahu
guy right now!

KEVIN: Of course we can
collar him. We can collar
half the student body.

You wanna try thinking
in the long run for a change?

BYRD: We have seen this guy
smoking cannabis.

Wait. Wait.

Let's just start
at the beginning,
all right?

You say the Orientals
are planning on having
this...

This anti-US rally.

This anti-US rally
tomorrow.

I can't believe they're
dredging up things we did,
what? Fifteen years ago?

Some people hold a grudge.

So why don't we get this, uh,
this Itchi-Itchi kid

on a drug charge
and pull the plug
on the whole shedoodle.

Well, that's exactly my idea!

Shut up!Shut up!

All right, this Jap kid.

If it's a liberal judge,
if he gets a good lawyer,
he'll be out in six months,

maybe even
a suspended sentence.

But what if he's seen
leading the rally?

Then he can't prove a thing
against us.

Just let Hoover
get a glimpse of this kid
attacking the Bureau.

The director
will take it personally.

It'll be like the Holly case.

This kid'll be locked up.
He'll be lucky if he's out
by the time Agnew's president.

And that's why
we respect our elders.

I wanna nail this punk.

MAN ON TV: On the
university campus today,

another chapter in the recent
student unrest here.

Students of the newly-formed
Asian American Students
Association

rallied today to try and
reopen the case

of a long deceased
Chinese laundryman

who they claim was framed
as a communist by the FBI
in the early 1950s.

The history of the FBI
is one of constant harassment

and persecution
of third-world people.

They are a secret police
of government agents
consistently...

Do I sound like that?

I don't sound like that.

...for the internment
of Japanese Americans
in US concentration camps

during World War II.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

Yeah, come in.

Hey, man, it's not locked!

Bullshit.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

OFFICER: Bradley Ichiyasu...

Hey!

As Asian Americans,

some of our families
date back in this country
100 years or more,

yet we continue to be treated
as strangers in this land.

We demand the release
of Bradley Ichiyasu.

This is another
blatant attempt by the FBI to
persecute an American citizen

for his political beliefs,
on trumped-up charges.

In his brave attempt
to redress an earlier
injustice, Bradley...

Hoover wants the girl, too.

[PHONE RINGS]

Pirelli here. Yeah, who?

Damn, I hate due process!

Yeah. Yeah, thanks.

When it shits, it pours.

Ichiyasu made bail.
Turns out he's a rich kid.

Figures. That's why
he wants to dump capitalism.

This way he can rot in jail
like the rest
of the poor people.

Yeah, we'll get him
at the trial.

Now, about the girl.

What about her?

Ronnie, it's clear
she's just Ichiyasu's pawn!

I think we're going after
the wrong bait.

But what bait, huh?

PIRELLI: This is no pawn.

This is Song's daughter!

The director never realized
how involved she was in all
of this, and neither did I,

or I would have never
given you the assignment
in the first place!

Are you questioning
my professionalism?

There's never been
much to question.

I'm handing the case over
to Peter Evans
and Burt Conway.

Evans and Conway? You mean
the famous comedy team?

They couldn't have gotten
a conviction
at the Salem witch trials.

My decision stands, Kevin.

You're not to interfere
with their investigation.

MARILYN: That night,
the man offered prayers
to his goddess,

and her words
came back to him again.

Denial and sacrifice,

and constant love.

[CROWD CLAMORING]

[POLICE SIREN WAILING]

Oh, Ronnie.

I'm supposed to bring this
to my stakeout.

Par for the course, huh?

[GUNSHOT]

[GUNSHOT]

Pirelli told me
you were off the case.

Right.

Just like I was off
the Darman case last year.

[COUGHING]

[EXCLAIMS]

Special Agent Kevin Walker,
FBI.

[BRADLEY CONTINUES COUGHING]

They appointed me
bathroom monitor
this week.

You boys wanna go
smoke someplace else?

Here, let me look at you.

Kevin...

Walker?

You're the one, aren't you?

[SPITS]

Pig.

You're testing my patience,
kid.

Doesn't matter
what you do to me,

'cause one day,
the people are gonna rise up,
and you'll be gone.

I'm not even waiting
for the people.

I already am gone.

Do you love her?

What?

What the fuck
kind of question is that?

This isn't the fucking
Dating Game!

I want you to
tell me the truth!

This attack on me,
was it her idea,
or was it yours?

It was all my idea,
you fucking moron.

You do love her.

Just my fucking luck.

What's this?

Cheat notes
on the poli sci exam.

So don't leave them
lying around the cafeteria.

Chen.

Chen Jung Song!

This is his file!

No!

Pass them on to your friend.

What kind of trick is this?

Well, I'm sure she'll be able
to tell you if it's a trick.

She's a bright girl.

Probably too bright for you.
But that's probably
none of my business.

Try and make her happy.

Restrain yourself.

Who do you think you are?
Her father?

Yeah.

That's me.

Chen Jung Song.

And that's my calling card.

Oh...

There's something you forgot.

Something I forgot?

When you were arrested,

you forgot to flush
the evidence.

[FLUSHING]

Don't get many calls
from you these days.

What's wrong?

You don't want it?

If I keep it,
I'm going to have to use it.

I can't clear his name
without ruining yours.

I always thought
that was sort of
the point.

Law or justice.

Sometime, in every person's
life, they've gotta choose.

I did a long time ago.

Now I'm picking up the tab.

I wanted to ruin your life,

but not like this.

Let's just say
it's a mixed bag
for both of us.

Then I want you
to have something.

I kept this

to remind myself
to avenge his death.

Yeah. I like that.

It's sort of
a little piece
of my past.

What...
What happened to you?

Is that all
you want from me?
Is one kiss?

If one kiss
is all you need to live,

then live two lives.

Many lives.

Happy lives.

You know,

some loves are impossible,

but they are loves
just the same.

I love you.

PIRELLI: Who got it?
Obviously, the papers got it.

He took that file
right out of your office.

What'd you do?

Walk over to
The Examinerand
drop it in their mail slot?

I tried to stop him,
but he was too fast.

Where's the evidence
on Ichiyasu you took
from my precinct?

That's the crux
of the entire case.

OFFICER: Where is it?Where's the file on Song?

I lost it.

The file?The evidence?

How can you possibly lose
an entire classified file?

Or a bag of state's evidence?

I'm sorry.

Do I even know you anymore?

What the hell have you been
doing here all these years?

Is your real name Yuri,
or Ho Chi Minh?
Or just plain moron?

KEVIN: My name...

My name is Chen Jung Song.

MARILYN: Some people
live their lives
under a blessing.

Others beneath a curse.

A man may
wander in confusion
for years,

shunned by his friends,

a stranger to his own skin,

only to discover one day
that he has blessed
the life of another.

[APPLAUSE]

[CROWD CHEERS]

MARILYN: On the
day of my wedding,

Kuan Yin,
the goddess of mercy,

looked down and took pity
on a man in love.

On that day, the G-man
spread his wings

and was delivered directly

to heaven.