All language subtitles for The.Tenants.2005.1080p.WEBRip.x264.AAC-ESub-English

Lesser, I know
you're in there.

I heard the tippity
tap of your typewriter.

You know I have nothing but the
greatest respect for writers.

I want you should finish your
book, win the Nobel Prize.

Levenspiel.

Have mercy, Lesser.

I can't work with you
making that fucking racket.

Lesser, let me in.

You're as pale as a
dead fish, Lesser.

What kind of life is this?

I don't understand
how you can stay

in this lousy flat all day.

Lesser, please move out.

So I can break up this
rotten building that

weighs like a hunch on my back.

I can't leave in
the middle of my book.

If I did, it would take me six
months to get back to work.

You don't know what
you're asking, Levenspiel.

Lesser, every other tenant
has settled for a $400 buyout.

You, I offer $1,000
cash and you look at me

like I have a social disease.

Outside of your $72 monthly
rent, which only half

pays for the oil you use,
I have no other income

coming in from this place.

So if you are really a
man, Lesser, a human being,

please understand my situation.

Levenspiel, I'm listening.

I've worked hard.

I'm going to finish soon.

Just please, have
some patience with me.

My last book, for reasons I
won't go into, was a bomb.

I need to redeem
myself in my own eyes.

Once I hit it
right, the book will

be off my chest and your
bag and I'll leave overnight

and I'll go away.

For Christ sakes, you're
eating up my writing time.

Let me work in peace.

Just go.

Go.

Fuck your book.

Mark my words,
Lesser, in this world,

it's the heart that counts.

Hey, man, don't you see
me writing on my book?

I'm sorry.

I'm a writer myself.

I live alone in this
building, alone on this floor.

I'm writing a book myself.

Baby, it's a long,
hard, lonely life.

But dig this.

From now on, I'll be here
writing on my book daily.

You mean, Levenspiel
is letting you?

And which cat is that?

He owns the building.

Haven't you met?

Didn't he tell you
you could work here?

Look man, I ain't
interested in no Jew landlord.

I was just looking for a place
to finish writing my book,

and hey, I ended up here.

What sort of
writing do you do,

if you don't mind me asking?

Now that's a
personal question.

And what I'm writing is
my personal business.

All I meant was
out of curiosity,

are you writing fiction,
prose, short stories, what?

It might be fiction, but
nonetheless, it's real.

Nobody said it wasn't Harry,
Harry Lesser is my name.

Willie Spearmint.

Well, sorry for
the interruption.

I better be getting back to
my own book, my third novel.

It was a surprise to find
somebody else up here typing.

I thought for a second
I was going crazy.

I had gotten used to being
the only man on the island.

Sorry again.

I hate interruptions myself.

If you need anything,
I'm generally

free in the late afternoon,
like you know, 5:00, 5:30.

You know what?
Make it sixish.

Say, man, can I leave
this here until the morning?

I don't want nobody to
steal it out of my office.

I've been hiding in the closet,
but that ain't like hiding,

if you can dig what I'm saying.

Are you through for the day?

What's it to you?

Nothing.

I just thought I'd ask.

I work from like 8:00 to
12:00, four solid hours,

and then I'm out.

Man, I tell you, this
writing stuff is no joke.

How long you go for?

About six hours a
day, sometimes more.

What about your manuscript?

You could leave it here.

Needless to say, I would
respect your privacy.

No, sir.

This stays with Papa.

I understand.

About what time will you
be coming for the machine?

Like 8:00 or 9:00.

But if I miss a day,
don't even sweat it.

I'm up by then.

Except Sundays.

Sundays, I'm flipping my girl.

I envy you that.

No need, man. there's
meat all around.

The women I meet generally
want to get married.

Stay away from that type.

Lesser, is it cool if I leave
typewrite under the table right

here?

Man, oh, man, Lesser, this
is a groovy apartment.

I made some money on a movie
sale about eight years ago.

I took it all in
deferred payments.

I've done fine till now.

Shit, Lesser.

If I had that kind of bread,
I'd be King of Shit Mountain.

What are you going to
do when it's all gone?

Well, it's almost
all gone now.

But my book will be
finished by the summer.

The advance on that should
carry me another two,

three years to the next one.

It take you that
long to write a book?

Three years?

Longer.

I'm a slow writer.

Baby, you better to put
the pedal to the metal.

Berlioz.

Shoot me.

Careful with those.

Those are pretty expensive.

What's this girl to you?

Oh, she's real.

She talks to me.

Talking ain't telling.

Are you an expert on
the black experience?

I'm an expert at writing.

Good because I hate all that
black like me bull shit.

White folks trying to tell me
what it's like to be black.

Nice crib, Lesser.

We going to have to
throw a party in here.

Not this week, maybe next.

Say, baby, let's just
have a good time tonight.

I don't need you to be
fronting down like that.

Come on, girl, stop
being so uptight.

Put a smile on your face.

You're too beautiful for that.

Say, Lesser, what's
happening, baby?

Come on, Linda, come on.

How you doing this evening?

Willie's white chick.

Say, Lesser, I would
have brought more people,

but it's cold as fuck outside.

And you know, black people don't
do well in those conditions.

Say, Lesser, man, what is
this shit you're listening to?

That's, that's my music.

I've got some
righteousness here for you.

Not that watered down
shit you're used to.

You know, I only live a
few blocks away on Court

and Fourth.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

It's OK, Don't
worry about it, Harry.

I like you just fine.

You smell white.

What does while smell like?

No smell at all.

Say, Lesser, have a seat, man.

Come take a hit of this.

It's part Lebanese hashish.

Don't smell it, boy,
suck it in your gut.

Hey, give me that.

What's your book about?

Love, I guess.

It's about this guy who
writes because he was

never really told the truth.

Now he's dying to.

What's yours about, Willie?

Shit, me.

How's it coming?

Smooth.

How's yours?

Slow.

Shit, I'm going to win the
fucking Nobel Peace Prize.

They're going to give me
$1 million in cash, baby.

After me, Willie.

I'm writing my best book.

It's a small
masterpiece, this book.

This book is gonna, it's
gonna grant me immortality.

Harry Lesser.

I'll be remembered.

Pile on the shit,
man, pile it on.

Pile on the coals till
you see the smoke.

You can have that
immortality shit.

Me, I'm going to
shovel up the bread.

It's only money, Willie.

That's all I want.

Fuck everything else.

No.

Art's the glory.

Art is the glory, Willie.

Only a schmuck thinks otherwise.

Say, Lesser, don't bug
me with that Jew word.

I know what you're
thinking about.

Don't think I don't.

My book will be dynamite.

And I'm going to drop it on
the first white prick I see.

Fuck off.

I'm Willie's girl.

Sorry.

Do you bite your nails?

Yes.

My real name is
Belinski, not Bill

and I've been Willie's
girl for two years.

Anything else you want to know?

What's your book about, Lesser?

Love.

What do you know about love?

Say, Lesser, man, cool it.

Don't go pulling
that ape shit on me.

Say, Lesser, thanks for the
good time tonight, baby.

We groove on art.

You my man, my favorite man.

We going to be real tight, baby.

Say, Lesser, let me pull
your coat about something, man.

Willie, I know.

I'm so sorry last night.

It was the hashish.

I was stoned.

I wasn't myself.

I'm sorry.

I was thinking I could leave
my manuscript here tonight.

Sure.

Sure.

Don't worry about
anybody reading it.

You have my word on that.

Look, I'm asking
you to read it.

I sat in my office today,
reading over my book,

I got a funny feeling I fell
off track some fucking where.

I don't know why, where,
or when all I know

is that my vision
got blurred up.

You need some
distance, Willie.

Just walk away from
it for a minute.

Man, I tried that
bullshit already.

You could save me a lot of
worry and a lot of trouble

if you tell me
where I went wrong.

You want me to
read your manuscript?

Nobody else I know has
two novels published.

I will if you
really want me to.

Now, would I be asking
you, if I didn't want you to?

Willie.

I'm ready to talk about
it whenever you are.

I thank you, Lesser,
for reading it.

Drink?

Let's cut the preliminary
bullshit, Lesser,

and get right down to it.

Look, Willie, you asked
me to read your book.

If you think you're going
to be uptight by what

I say, then maybe we ought
to call it off right now.

I am uptight, man,
because that's my nature, as

well as my personal privilege.

Well, I got my own
nature to consider

and it likes to live in peace.

All I'm saying is that if we
can't have a reasonable talk,

then let's just forget it.

I've been on my book for
years, and finally want

to get it done.

And for that I need
peace and quiet.

That's why I like it up here,
no serious disturbances.

Instead of preaching
to me, Lesser,

need to get off your white
ass and speak your true peace.

I don't want you to
bullshit with me,

nor do I want to argue with you.

I heartily agree.

Willie, what can I tell you?

I mean, what can I say
to a man who has seen

the things that you have seen?

First off, there's no
question that you're a writer.

Both parts of the book, the
autobiography and the story,

both strong and moving.

I especially like
the last story.

I write for black
freedom, the one

about Efram, Harry, and
the white girl, stunning.

Whatever the writing lacks,
there's obviously a talent

at work here.

Oh come on now, Lesser.

Who are you talking to?

You ain't telling me nothing.

Get down to the cold
shit truth of it all.

OK, Willie.

The truth is, the book is
good, but it could be better.

I told you that myself.

Now tell me what I
really asked you,

where did I steer off track?

Um, I would say that
the form of the whole

really isn't sufficient.

There's a flawed
quality which you

call blurred that gives it
that shifting effect that

seems to bother you.

Lesser, I'm going to show
you how completely full of shit

you are in what you just said.

First off, the way you
classify my work, dead wrong.

The part you call
autobiography, made up.

I made that shit up.
It's pure fiction.

I made it up as I
was going along.

The guy narrating,
that ain't me.

Shit, I was born in
Harlem, 129th Street

and I moved to Bed-Stuy with my
moms when I was six years old.

The closest I've been down South
is swimming at Coney Island.

I never lived in
Detroit, Michigan,

despite my father did for three
years working at a shitty job

cleaning out toilets.

On the other hand, the four
short stories that I wrote,

that shit was real.

It's about brothers like
me that live a hard life.

They've got to deal with
redneck motherfuckers

like yourself every day.

That's the only autobiography
this book had to bring.

That's it, end of story.

Well, the book has the
tone of an autobiography.

But even if it's pure
fiction, the point

is something's not
coming off right

or you wouldn't have
asked me to read it.

Lesser, how can you be so
fucking sure about what you say

if my book turns out to
be two different things

than you thought.

In any case, we both
agree it needs more work.

Work?

I worked my ass off
to the flat bone.

I worked past misery, man.

This is my fourth draft.

How many more I got to do?

Maybe try one more.

Fuck that!

Listen, Willie, I've got to
get back to my own book now.

Hey look, man, don't
give me that grief shit.

I know how you feel, Willie.

I've been in your shoes.

Ain't no white motherfucker
been in my shoes.

This book is about a black man.

White fiction is
completely different.

You don't understand this shit.

You can't turn the black
experience into literature

just by writing it down.

Black fiction ain't white.

It can't be.

We feel different.

We write different.

Our chemistry is different.

Dig.

I write for the souls of all
the black people crying out,

we ain't going to be slaves
in this motherfucking country

no more.

We ain't going to deal with you
redneck motherfuckers no more.

You wouldn't understand
that though, Lesser,

because your brain is white.

Willie, a million
black men can have

the same appalling experience.

It takes one unique
man to write it down.

Then it's not a black thing.

It's not a white thing.

It's a human thing.

It's your job to make
it my experience.

That's what a
writer does, Willie.

That's what a writer does.

Being human ain't shit.

It ain't never nothing for us.

Willie, why don't you just
find yourself a publisher

and let them read it, OK?

Let them read it.

Them red head motherfuckers
don't want to hear

what my book has to say.

They scared of it.

What a fool, what a black
ass fool I was letting

you read my fucking book.

Willie.

Where you been?

I was worried about you, Willie.

Call me Bill, Lesser.

My writing name is my
real one from now on.

Bill Speer.

OK, Bill it is then.

Lesser, I want
to say something

going back to that rap
we had the other day.

Won't take but a minute.

What is it, Willie.

I'm sorry, Bill.

I went by the library
by my girl's house

and checked out your books,
both of them, I might add,

the second book gives off a
bad smell, but the first one

you wrote, classic.

It's the truth.

Irene said I be
talking to myself.

Wasn't expecting nothing
like that from you, Lesser,

such a square like yourself.

Well, thanks anyway, Bill.

But there was one thing.

What?

The sister in the book, the
chick, to me, she wasn't black

but I liked her attitude
and I wouldn't mind

laying some pipe in her pants.

At least she was real
enough to want to fuck.

Yeah, she was real,
but not like anybody

I know, leastways nobody black.

But I will admit,
it got me thinking.

After reading your
book, , both of them

I understand what
you was talking

about with that form shit.

What's the matter,
man, you all right?

I just got a lot
of stuff on my mind.

But you see what I mean.

Because I don't want to become
some half-assed white writer

or some black writer
who writes what

the white man
tells him to write.

I got to write from the heart.

I mean we're different
from you, Lesser.

We write different.

We feel different.

We are different.

What I want to do is take what
you know add on to what I know,

put them both together
and write black art

as a black man should.

And if I got to learn from
you or any other white man,

then so be it.

That's what it's going to be.

That's what the
purpose is all about.

So I want you to take
everything that I gave you

and throw it away.

I got some new shit.

Got this story I'm working on
where this kid and his mom,

they just go out and
kill white people all day

in the South Yeah.

I'm thinking about calling it,
Kill Whitey, A Revenge Story.

But check this out, Les.

Here's what I want
you to do for me,

and I wouldn't be asking this if
we both wasn't writers, tell me

how can I write the same
things, the same ideas,

but only better.

I don't know if that's
such a good idea considering

how things went the other day.

Well, baby, if you don't
want to read what I show you,

fuck your white ass.

Who's the gorilla in
old timers old flat?

Friend of yours?

Which gorilla do
you have in mind?

Don't get cute
with me, Lesser.

I found a typewriter on the
table in the living room, also

an apple, less a few bites.

And a piss-smelling mattress
in the middle of the floor.

Where's he hiding?

I'll take your word for it.

Who is this son of a bitch.

I don't know.

He comes and goes.

Well, he's some
kind of writer,

because I read
some of the rolled

up paper balls he
throws on the floor,

one begins with a small
little boy in Harlem.

Who is he?
Colored?

I don't know.

Well, you tell him whoever
he is, that he's trespassing

and I'm going to throw
him out on his ass.

You're trespassing
on my writing time.

Hey.

So how's the work coming along?

On and off.

Too many interruptions.

Let me ask you, would you
take 1,500 if I made the offer?

I'd take it.

It's pure gold.

I'll keep it in mind.

I'm riding as fast as I can.

You rush, you distort.

That your final offer?

Final once removed.

What's final I
seek, I can't find.

Tell that nigger I'm
coming back with a cop.

Tell him yourself.

I went to get a typewriter.

Who took my stuff?

Les, did you?

Levenspiel found your setup.

Went to get a cop.

What the fuck for?

What harm am I doing him?

Trespassing.

In this shit hole?

He had one writer to get
rid of and now he's got two

and you don't pay rent.

Jew slum lord bastard.

Cut out the Jew stuff, Willie.

Bill is my name, Lesser.

OK, Bill, cut
out the Jew stuff.

Shit.

In the bathroom.

Police.

What's your business?

Our business is legal, Lesser.

We broke up your friend's
furniture in the apartment

in which he was trespassing.

But I know you were in
possession of his typewriter.

That I already saw.

I hope you're
proud of yourself.

What are my rights?

Not that a landlord has
many in this fakakta city.

They're my rights.

I don't owe you any
apologies, Lesser.

I'm about to search every
apartment in this building,

and if we don't find your
black friend anywhere else,

I'll know that you're
hiding him here.

Bring a search warrant
if you want to get it.

We will.

What are your plans, Willie?

Don't got no fucking plans.

Look at this shit.

Me and my girl just got
in a fucking argument

the other night.

I can't go back to her place.

God damn.

Listen, you can work
in my kitchen tomorrow.

Of if it makes you
feel claustrophobic,

we can move the table
into the living room.

In a couple of days, we'll
find you a new place.

I know a second hand
store on Third Avenue.

We can pick a few things there.

Listen, man, I
ain't got no bread.

It's what me and Irene
keep on arguing about.

She wants me to get a gig.

Well, don't worry about it.

I still have a few
dollars in the bank.

My man.

You all right, Lesser.

Right on, Lesser, right on.

I know the artist.

His name was Lazar Cohen.

I knew the woman too.

She was his girlfriend
at the time.

He worked on it for many
years and then gave up.

He never thought
he got it right.

His friends persuaded him
to release it for sale,

but didn't do him any good.

He's dead.

He hit a truck with his
motorcycle on Hudson Street.

Is Willie a good writer?

I mean will he be?

Well, he could be
if he stays with it.

There's no half-assed
way to be a good writer.

There's nothing
half-assed about Willie.

You know, you really hurt him
what he said about his book.

I didn't mean to.

Well, you said you
didn't think much of it.

I liked the stories
better than The Life.

They are a lot more original.

But it isn't just
autobiographical.

Willie came to Harlem
from Georgia when he was

16 with his mom and kid sister.

I thought it was Mississippi.

Changes his birthplace every
time he talks about it.

There's a lot of
stuff he just really

doesn't like to remember.

Did he really do
a stretch in prison?

Two years.

But most of it's made up.

Willie's a very imaginative.

He enjoys being imaginative.

You should hear when he gets
to talking about himself.

That's the tone I'd like
to see in his next book.

What do you think of it so far?

I think if he stays with it
seriously, it ought to be good.

How seriously?

You have to break your
balls to be a good writer?

Everything WITH you is so
fucking serious, Lesser.

When do you laugh?

I laugh when I write, which
is what I should be doing now.

You know, I read your
novel, the first one.

It was good.

It was much better than
I thought it would be.

The girl in it, she reminded me
of myself actually, when I was

her age, very fucked up girl.

What do you mean?

Well, I had just quit
college and I thought

I wanted to be an actress.

But really I was just looking
for a way to skip being myself.

A lot of this came
out in therapy.

Anyway, I was fucked up kid.

I was having a rough time.

And then I met Willie.

At first we got
along really badly.

But then things got better.

And he moved in with me.

How do you and
Willie stand as of now?

What do you mean?

You seem to be together,
but you seem to be apart.

Yeah, that's a good
description of us.

Do you love him?

Why do you want to know?

Cause we're sitting here.

I think if Willie
loved me, we would

probably be married by now.

But outside of his
love for black people,

I don't think he loves
anything except his work.

We talk an awful lot
about race and color.

One thing about
loving a black man,

there's times when you
feel black yourself.

Yeah.

Well, maybe you should
find yourself another.

I gotta get back to work.

Hey, Lesser,
where you been, man?

You holding me up.

I've been looking for you.

I just went for a walk.

I went up town to a museum.

I left a note on your desk.

Man, I can't rap
to you right now.

It's the weekend, I
gotta see my girl.

I'll see you Monday.

Lesser, man for Christ
sakes, cross over.

I got some soul people
over here with me.

Say, man, we having a shing-ding
at Mary's house tonight.

How'd you like to come along?

Yeah, sure.

- Well, join the train.
- Oh, no, no, no.

Hold up, man.
Hold up.

What's up with this?

He's a fucking good writer.

Join the train.

Hi.

Good to see you.

Thought you might come by.

Seeing as you live so
close and everything.

I'm really glad you came.

I'm glad I came too.

I was happy to see you.

Listen, I have the
key to a friend's

apartment across the hall.

As soon as everybody
gets a little higher,

I'm going in there.

You should come too, if
you're in the mood to.

Only give me about
10 minutes so no one

sees us get up walk
right out of here,

one right after the other.

Sam might take offense.

Mary?

In here.

I hope you don't mind me
getting undressed first.

Just thought I'd be a
little warmer under here.

My god, you're lovely.

You've never been with
a black woman before.

No.

Don't make too much of it.

Now, come on.

Get into bed with me.

Salaam alaykum.

If you think you're
white, you're wrong.

You're really black.

All white people are.

But the blacks are
the true whites.

Lesser, get your pale
face ass over here.

Chum, we going to
play a little game,

a game of nothing
but naked words.

You throw yours on me,
I throw mines on you.

The one that cries momma loses.

And we shit on them, you dig?

What's the point of that?

The point is the point.

I thought we
were friends, Bill.

You've got no friends here.

Suppose I don't play.

You gonna fuck back,
you gonna face black.

Off this motherfucker.

Lesser, I'm going
to go easy on you.

So you can join in on the fun.

Now I'm not going to go
on your mom or your sister

like we normally do, but,
get down to the tough shit

funk of it, special for you.

Lesser, you think you're so hot.

You've got the
look of a shit pot.

Now raise me on that.

Oh, and if you don't, you might
have to play a different game.

Poker.

Motherfucker, have you
lost your nuts down the can?

OK.

OK, Willie, Bill.

Bill, your mouth is
a place of excrement.

Lesser, you a mammy
rammer, shit for brains,

no good, red neck motherfucker.

What good is a
contest of imprecation?

All this does is
raise bad feelings.

Would you listen to
this soft bull shit.

Sam, Sam, Sam.

This honky belongs to me.

Chill out.

This is my guest.

Willie, baby, can we go home?

Go.

Go, git.

Can't you come with me?

Irene, go fuck yourself.

Well, if I could, what are
you going to do for kicks?

Yeah, whatever, bitch.

Now, Lesser, I called you a two
bit, good for nothing, redneck,

motherfucker.

Now aren't you going
to answer back?

If you have to do this,
why don't you write it?

I thought you were a writer.

Look, motherfucker,
don't tell me how to write.

I don't need no Jew
motherfuckers trying to tell me

how and what to write.

If you have some sort
of complaint with me,

why don't you say it directly?

If what you have to say
is none of your business

in the first place,
then let Sam say it.

I told you not to let
this redneck shit eater come

along here in the first place.

How much more of a
motherfucking coward

are you going to be?

Just answer the
question that I laid down.

OK, Bill, OK.

I could call you a filthy prick.

I withdraw that.

No you're not, motherfucker.

You ain't withdrawing nothing.

That's the rules to this shit.

Now the reason why
you want to withdraw

is because you really want to
call me a filthy nigger prick,

but you ain't got the
balls to say it, do you?

I didn't say that word.

I didn't say that.

I thought of that because
I knew that that's

what you wanted to hear.

Yeah, fine and dandy.

Now I will call you
a motherfucking,

redneck, Jew,
shit-eating, dick-sucking,

dyke-faced motherfucker.

I get the message, Bill.

I get the message.

And I concede the game.

That's my last word.

Say, brothers, let
the white spook exit.

Get the fuck out
of here, Lesser.

Damn, Lesser, I
didn't get shit done.

Not one fucking sentence.

I tell you, I'm hung
over like a motherfucker.

I want you to know, Lesser, that
I saved your ass last night.

Saved whose ass?

Sam wanted the brothers
to beat up on you

for putting meat to his girl.

But I cooled them
out with that game.

In that case, thanks.

I'm grateful

You sure as shit
don't look it.

Trust me.

I just wanted
you to know that.

Listen, Torvald, I have
heard when a wife abandons

her husband's house
as I'm doing now,

he's legally free from all
obligations towards her.

In any case I set you
free from any obligation.

You're not to feel yourself
bound to me in the slightest

way, any more than I shall.

There must be perfect
freedom on both sides.

Here is your ring back.

Give me mine.

All over.

Moira, shall you never
think of me again?

I know I shall often think
of you and the children

and this house.

Irene.

Irene, it's Lesser.

What are you doing here?

I came to tell you
I love you, Irene.

I thought you'd want to know.

I thought you liked Mary.

I slept with her
for want of you.

You're in love with me because
I'm Willie's Jewish white girl.

You'd try to save me from
a life of poverty and crime

with a black man, an ex-con.

My love professes
no more than love.

I love you.

I want you.

What kind of want?

A long want.

Say it plainly.

I'm not very subtle.

I want to marry you
after I finish my book.

You're both alike.

My feet are cold.

Let's go upstairs.

Take off your coat.

Why a black Jesus?

Well, Willie won't let me
hang any pictures of whites.

And I won't hang
pictures of flowers.

I like real flowers.

But why Jesus?

Rather than H. Rap Brown?

Is there a black Moses?

Believe in God.

I'm afraid of
what we;re doing,

even though I want to do it.

You worried about Willie.

And myself.

I'm also really
afraid of getting

involved with another writer.

I love you, Irene.

Would you consider
moving to San Francisco?

Sure.

After I finish my book.

I made up my mind.

I'm giving up acting.

I'm not a natural.

This is my last play.

I'm fed up with my life here.

I'm fed up with New York.

Yeah.

OK.

So, could we say,
three, four, maybe

five months at the latest.

Sure.

Just worried about Willie.

What do you mean?

He doesn't really
have anybody and I've

been pretty much supporting
him since he moved in with me.

He has very little
to live on as it is

and I just, I don't
want him to go back

to running numbers, dealing.

He'll get a job.

I worked plenty of shitty
jobs writing my first book.

And I still had time to write.

Yeah, but any job he got
would pay him half as much

as what you earned and make
him work twice as hard.

I worked my ass off.

I know we're not,
but I just feel

like we're a couple
of whities giving

some nigger a kick in the ass.

Come on.

I don't feel that way.

All this amounts to is two
people, you and Willie finally

agreeing to end an affair.

That's all.

Forget about that whitey thing.

Hello?

Irene, I won't be
coming around this Friday.

This chapter's giving
me a hard time right now

and I've got to stay on.

I'm sorry to hear that.

I will be around
in about a week or two.

You know, I'm telling you, I
can think a whole lot of things

I want to do to you right now.

Well, don't depend on it.

Don't think I'm not
thinking about you, baby.

All right.
I'll see you later.

How are we going to tell him?

What do you mean?

You know what.

Either you tell
him, or I tell him.

Or we tell him together.

Can't we just let
it die naturally?

I'd like better if
Willie tells himself

and then he tells me it's over.

But if it comes to actually
having to tell him,

I'd like to do it myself.

The sooner, the better.

I'll be knocking on
your door next Friday

expecting to sleep with you.

Sex isn't the important thing.

How's every little
thing, Lesser.

I keep knocking at
your fucking door,

but nobody gets up to open it.

You hiding on me?
You find a girl?

I've been getting
out more lately.

My book is moving and so am I.

So you got past your
rough, swampy place, huh?

Yeah that's right.

Mines keeps jamming me up.

Every morning when I wake
up, I see that big fucking

typewriter machine staring at
me like a mother fucking eagle.

None but the brave
deserve the fair.

Say what?

It's a poem.

Black or white?

John Dryden, Englishman.

Yeah, right on.

I will read it.

Anyway, why I came up
here is I want you take

a look at this new chapter.

The mother in it is
giving me trouble.

Can't seem to get
her to die right.

I done wrote it like 20
times, and now thinks she's

expiring like she ought to be.

How do you feel
about it yourself?

If I really knew,
I wouldn't ask you.

Honest to God, I wouldn't.

But, Lesser, if you could
give it a read for me

today, we can rap about
it for about a half hour.

Every good book is
written in uncertainty.

I'll take a look at it.

Thanks, Lesser.

It would be a real relief,
especially to help me get

this part of the book finished.

I haven't seen my
girl in about a month.

And I got blue balls.

I really need to spend
some time with her.

Can you dig what I'm saying?

She pesterfies me, but mm,
mm, mm, what a sweet lay.

Do you love her?

Man, that's my business.

And if I get to see her,
depends on that chapter

you have over there.

Now if you tell me I got
it right or halfway right,

then I get to fuck off
my weekend with her.

But if you think it
needs a little more work,

and I agree with you, then I
have to bang it out some more.

So take a look at it and
tell me what you think.

How did it go?

I am so over it.

Willie gave me his book today.

I can't do this.

I can't.

We gotta tell him something.

I know, I know.

He came by the house today.

What?

What?

Relax, Harry.

He just took a shower and
he changed his underwear

and then he left.

He was gone before I was
even out of the bathroom.

All he cares about is his book.

You gotta trust me on this one.

I trust you.

Let me tell him.

Bill, Bill, I
read your chapter.

Speak your peace, Lesser.

Bill, I really don't
think we ought to fool

around with your book anymore.

At this stage, whatever you
think you're doing right,

you ought to go on doing.

You are a gifted writer.

Ultimately it's your book.

All I want to know,
what I really need to know

is, did I get the boy
and the mama right?

Are they for real, man?

And don't bullshit me on that?

For the first couple of
pages, up to the mother's death.

Then after that, Bill, the
stream of consciousness,

it just doesn't work.

You trying to fuck with
my mind and confuse me, man?

You trying to kill
off my natural right

by pretending you interested
in my fucking form of it all?

Knowing you are afraid of
what my book has to say?

Which is, backs have to
murder you white motherfuckers

for crippling our lives.

Get your ass up my
mother fucking spot.

Can't believe I was
believing in you.

Get your Jew ass out
of motherfucking pad.

Fucker.

Bill, there's more to
it than I told you, Bill.

Say, man, I'm quitting
this writing thing.

It's no fault of yours.

I decided it ain't
no gig for me.

I got to get off my broke ass
and get to the true action.

Get out there with my
brothers in the struggle.

Writing is action.

Don't give up on that, Bill.

Action is my action.

Forget what I said and
write the way you have to.

What was you going to say when
you first came in here, Lesser?

Listen, after
I finish my book,

Irene and I are getting married.

We're in love, Bill.

We figured you wouldn't
care one way or the other

because you had more or
less broken up with her.

You said so to both of us.

I wish I told you this before.

That was my girl.

I taught her
everything she know.

She ain't even know how to
fuck until I taught her.

Fucker!

What are you doing?

Fuck you!

No!

I'll teach you, motherfucker.

Dirty sons of bitches!

I'll get a court
order, god damn it.

My god, Lesser, look what
you've done to yourself.

You're your own worst enemy.

Bringing a half naked
nigger into this house?

You don't take my
advice and move out,

you'll wake up one
morning playing

a tambourine in your grave.

Yes.

Irene.

I begged you to
let me tell him.

Why didn't you at least tell
me that you were going to?

There was no chance.

It just came up suddenly.

Oh, shit there was no chance.

You had to tell him.

It's your profession to
tell everybody everything.

You couldn't wait.

I waited.

I wait.

I waited too damn long
for you to tell him.

You're crazy if you think
he was about to leave you.

It would have gone on
like this for years.

I had to tell him something.

I know him.

I know Willie wasn't
happy with me anymore.

I know him.

Who are you concerned
about, him or me?

I told you that I love you.

I'm concerned about Willie.

He tried to throw me
out a fucking window!

Would you fucking get that!

He called me all
these filthy names

and then he told me he couldn't
stand the sight of me anymore.

It's exactly the opposite
of what I'd hoped.

I hoped he's still
feel affection for me

when we broke up.

And that he'd remember
the good times.

I just wish you'd
let me tell him.

I wish you had.

Harry, I'm frightened for you.

Me?

Why?

Because they could easily
get at you in that creepy,

empty tenement.

You know, Willie's friends
are very loyal to him.

They could hide in the
stairs or in the hall.

They couldn't do that here.

The elevator man
would call the cops.

Why don't you just come
and stay here with me

for a little while?

Anybody who's out to get
me can get me, elevator man

or no elevator man.

How are you going to live
in the same building with him?

No, he's was
not going to stay.

He's not going to stay there.

There's no way because the
landlord on this place again.

So he--

Harry, let's just get married.

We could just move
to another city

or a different neighborhood.

That's what we'll do.

As soon as I finish my book.

No!

That's impossible, Harry.

Irene, I can do this.

This has happened
to other people.

I mean, I'm not the first writer
that this has happened to.

TE Lawrence left his
entire manuscript of "Seven

Pillars Of Wisdom" on a train.

Carlyle accidentally chucked
all of his "French Revolution"

into John Stewart
Mill's fireplace.

I mean, I can do this, Irene.

I know, I know I can.

Listen I remember
most of what I wrote.

I do.

I can do this.

How long is it going to take?

Six months at the most.

What about San Francisco?

Irene, Irene, I'm,
I'm a creature of habit.

I need to finish the
book where I started it.

I thought you wanted more from
your life than your writing.

That's what you told me the
first thing we slept together.

I do.

And I love you.

But for the time being, my
first priority is my book.

You know, Harry,
all you do all day

is sit on your ass writing.

And all you do all day
when you come over here

is sit on your ass reading.

Why you just save time all
around and go fuck your book.

Lesser, I found
out I'm a sick man.

My doctor gave me a warning.

I've given up cigars
but it doesn't help.

$10,000 is my
absolute top offer.

I've received in the mail a
bid a money group, an offer

to take over this property
for high rise construction.

I am considering that offer.

I know.

I know.

It was a little cold
of me to send a letter,

but it's not easy to
reach you since you

turned your phone off.

And I couldn't wait any longer.

I've waited long enough.

Irene.

Harry, don't bother.

I'm going to San
Francisco without you.

You're free to
finish your book now.

Irene, just wait for me.

I've waited long enough
and I've waited once before.

I'm through waiting.

You know, I've always been
attracted to these characters

like you and Willie who are more
deeply involved with their work

than with me.

Maybe that's what I wanted then,
but that isn't what I want now,

Harry.

I want a family.

Irene, you deserve that.

What bourgeois
shit I've become.

Irene, Irene, I love you.

I love you.

I want to marry you.

You're already married,
Harry, to your fucking book.

No book is as
important as you are.

I know that.

I know that.

That's such bullshit.

It's you and your book forever,
till death do you part.

If it's not this one,
then it's the next.

I gotta go.

Good luck, Harry.

Lesser!

Lesser!

Lesser!