The Saint of Fort Washington

Let's go! Let's go!

We got the building coming down!

Everybody move it out!

We got the building coming down!

Everybody out! Let's go!

Move it out!

If you're in there, you better get out!

Let's go, folks! Move it out!

Move it out! We got five minutes!

Outside! Get those boxes out!

This building's coming down!

We got to move! Come on now!

Let's go, folks! Move it out!

Bobby...

Come back over here.

This here's the story of that little black boy

who go into the jungle... What's his name?

Sambo.

Little black Sambo,

only not particularly black, nor he white,

'cause this not the story you're accustomed to,

understand?

This here the honest to god,

up to date, unexpurgated version.

Now, Sambo, he go into the jungle

wearing this brand new red jacket

and his brand new blue pants and purple shoes,

and he carrying his brand new green umbrella

to protect himself from the fierce jungle sun.

And one by one,

them tigers come and steal away

each of them various items of clothing

until Sambo, he got nothing left.

Then they begin to fighting amongst themselves

to see who is the grandest tiger of them all.

Now, this here where the story diverts,

'cause Sambo, he not interested

in putting back on any of them clothes

the tigers threw off.

No, siree.

This Sambo, he walked out of that jungle 100% naked.

But he got something even more precious

than that red jacket and them blue pants

and his purple shoes.

What he got is his own naked self,

and no one, no way,

going to take that away from him.

That's my story.

Shine you up real fine, my man.

This window going to be positively radiant 'fore I'm through.

Yeah, it makes my heart jump for joy

to see such radiance.

What about you, mister?

Your little heart going pitty-pat, pitty-pat?

You under no obligation whatsoever, my man...

But we do accept gratuities.

Thank you kindly.

Is that your baby?

Is he yours?

Yeah, he mine, only he not a he.

It's a she.

I'll hold her.

The following prepare to board a bus for Roberto clemente...

Gloria wise and children.

Bus Van 24 for transportation

to Roberto clemente.

Thank you.

Watch yourself.

This say Gloria wise and two children.

You a member of the family?

No. I'm a friend.

You're in the wrong place. This is a family shelter.

You got to go back downtown to ft. Washington.

I heard that!

That look like my blanket.

What the hell you do, boy?

Hey, you take my picture?

Yeah.

You got no common sense,

tuning in on a man like that?

I ain't no fly on no fucking wall!

My image ain't for sale!

Let me have it!

What, what, what?

That film!

There's no film. There's no film.

Hand it over.

It's empty. See?

What do you mean?

There's no film in this camera.

How come you take a picture that have no film?

I'm a photographer.

Yeah, and I'm the lone ranger,

only I got no horse.

Next!

Put your bag up.

You never been in here before?

I was a pharmacist.

I ran into some difficulty.

Sign in over here.

Hey!

You hard of hearing?

Hard, but not of hearin'.

Empty out your pockets.

Nothing in my pockets. Nothing up my sleeves.

Turn around.

Haven't we been through this routine?

You know the story.

I don't know no story. Turn around.

I was in nam.

I got shrapnel in my legs.

O.k. Move along.

Thank you kindly, brother.

Don't need no help.

Son of a bitch ball buster.

He knows it's shrapnel.

Son of a...

Thank you kindly.

You don't mind if I save it for a rainy day?

I don't mind.

Good.

'Cause I got something better just now.

I'm holding on to a little piece of the universe.

You believe in god, boy?

Sometimes.

Yeah, I know what you mean.

Sometime he here. Sometime he not.

Right now... He here.

Yeah.

Yeah.

This here is the closest thing to god

you'll find in this place, boy.

Want to touch him?

Nah.

You never know.

You might get struck dumb with religious faith.

It ain't in the touch anyhow.

Boy, it's... It's in the taste.

This here little pill

made by Mr. Johnson & Johnson,

they god's true representative on earth.

It ain't the churches or them synagogues or the pope.

That's just propaganda.

It's the pharmaceutical companies.

Yeah... Mr. Johnson & Johnson

separating this black man from his pain.

Hallelujah!

Don't get me wrong, boy.

I seen worse.

Seen a lot of misery in nam.

This is child's play compared to that.

What's your name?

Matthew.

I'm Jerry.

Where you from, Matthew?

I'm from... The Bronx.

Belt parkway.

Yeah.

I'm from bed stuy.

You never been in one of these shelters, have you?

No, I'm... Best take care of your property,

otherwise you going to come up short, boy.

First thing they do, once you close your eyes,

is creep up and remove the sneakers.

Next thing they do is jiggle your pockets,

see if you got anything valuable inside.

This place filled with bull daggers,

knife orders... Junkies...

All sort of weirdoes.

Drifting off now, boy.

Yeah.

Sweet little old painkiller

working its magic.

Aroo!

Aroo!

They're holding on to their dreams, Matthew.

Only thing they got left.

You sweet meat, boy?

Hey, you're the fucking watch.

Hold out on old Leroy, man.

Next time things be worse.

Oof!

Kitty cat, I'm always where the money's at.

Meow!

Hey, Matthew!

Hey, Matthew!

Come here. Take my picture!

Come over here. Take my picture!

Come on, Matthew!

Get over here.

Let me see that fucking camera.

That better be American made, now.

Let me see that. Nah, nah.

Come on, man.

Come on. How you guys doing?

Hey, John, how you doing?

Let's look.

How you doing, Matthew?

Good. How you doing, John?

Me, I'm good, man.