Original subtitles

MACISTE AT THE GREAT KHAN'S COURT

It's useless.

No one will get the Bell of Freedom to toll again.

Only Mongolian troops under the command of the Great Khan

can free China from the rule of the Tartars.

In the 13th century, China had been

under the cruel government of the Tartars for many years.

Emperor Wung gathered his strongest people,

to give voice to a huge bell, their symbol of freedom,

but when no strength was able to make it sound,

he was forced to call some foreigners for help.

The Great Khan of the Mongols accepted the invitation

and threw the Tartars out of the Celestial Empire.

The Chinese people received him as a liberator,

without realizing that he was going to become their new master.

Honor and glory to the Great Khan of the Mongols

who has agreed to put his powerful army

to get back the freedom of our country.

The sovereign of our Celestial Empire is waiting for you at the palace,

to celebrate magnificently your coming and your victory, great commander.

Our people will accept hospitably your soldiers like brothers,

recognizing their courage.

What does this dance symbolize?

The eternal struggle between good and evil.

Of course, does good always win?

Sure.

With your leave, Son of Heaven, to thank you for your show,

I'd like to offer you another prepared by us.

- What is he going to do? - This is very strange.

What is it?

You will see.

Patience is the best of virtues.

Stop, Bayan!

The killer shouldn't die.

He will tell us the name of the traitor before being punished.

Torture will make him talk.

Take him away!

Who ordered you to kill the Emperor?

Talk!

Give it another turn of the screw.

Are you going to talk?

Who ordered you to kill the Emperor?

Don't abuse my patience.

Well, are you going to talk outright?

Who is responsible for your crime?

Turn the crank once more.

Go on.

It's enough!

Give it another turn!

He's dead.

It's a shame.

One cannot speak if his tongue was cut out.

I will keep this symbol of power

until the day the crown prince accedes to the throne.

Announce to the people that Princess Lei-ling

will be entrusted to care of the holy monastery of Tang.

She'll be there studying the principles of the nation's religion.

The prince will remain in court,

where he will get the proper education to take the throne.

Until then, I assume the role of regent of the Chinese Empire.

Ten years have passed.

The Chinese people are subjected to a tyranny worse than that of the Tartars.

The great Khan of the Mongols has enslaved

those to whom he promised freedom

and has plunged the country into misery and starvation.

Foci of revolt emerged throughout China, but all attempts were in vain.

The new rulers have no limit in the ferocity of the punishments

and the cruelty of the reprisals.

The sad mass of servants

is joined by the long and tragic mass of the doomed.

Get ready.

Mongolian soldiers were killed in the vicinity of this village.

The Great Khan, in the name of law and justice,

has ordered that for every dead soldier,

ten hostages must be beheaded.

They keep on attacking and escaping,

vanishing into thin air.

Reprisals and punishments are not possible

because of the silent network of complicity that protects them.

Your father's enemies can't live under your roof.

May the enemy always find you wielding the sword.

It's their law.

For them you're the enemy.

If you were crowned Emperor of China, things would change.

There he is. The future Emperor of China.

Soon he will come of age and it will be hard for me to keep him in check.

Prince Tai-Sung loves hunting.

And hunting is dangerous.

Accidents are quite common.

We have little Lei-ling, locked in that distant convent.

Some false rebels could ask the nuns for shelter.

There would be reprisals.

The princess would be executed by mistake

and the blame would fall on the rebels.

The princess will have changed a lot.

It's been 10 years.

She has the Imperial Dragon tattooed on her arm.

It will be easy to recognize her.

An unfortunate fate is written for these children.

Always stay with me, Liu Tai.

It's good for the peace of my soul.

I've always been by your side

and I will remain when you become Lord and Ruler of this country.

Come with me.

Young prince,

we decided to celebrate your birthday with a big hunt.

It's the best gift I could receive.

I'll go this way;

you will go around the swamps

and you, Tai Sung, will stay next to the tiger trap.

Let's see who the best hunter is.

Just wait for the tiger to show up

and I'll bring you its skin to decorate your throne.

Bayan,

I entrust you with the safety of the prince.

Let your soldiers hurry. The convent of the Buddhist nuns isn't near.

Whoever commands them shouldn't forget the dragon tattoo.

Make haste! Put him in the tiger trap.

No!

Hurry up! Hurry up!

The tiger isn't far away.

No!

Now cover it.

Quick! Climb up the tree.

Help!

Help!

Attention!

The princess has a dragon tattoo on her left arm!

Look everywhere!

Search for her! She shouldn't escape!

What do you want? Who are you?

Who are you?

Don't be afraid, stranger. You're welcome here.

The one who is with you is Prince Tai-Sung.

He is hurt. What happened?

Tell us, who are you?

My name is Maciste.

I was born from the rock.

Tell me, where do you come from, Maciste?

From a great distance.

Come in.

If you hate the invaders of China, this is your home.

Take the prince from him and carry him to my cell.

Be careful.

I am the mind that leads the people who fight the Mongol oppressors.

Chu, unlike me, is the sword that always strikes wherever he is.

He must be a man of great courage. I would like to know him.

If you want to join our fight, you'll find him long before you imagine.

The prince is resting in bed.

His wounds are not serious. He will get over them soon.

Glad to hear that.

However, if the Great Khan ordered to kill Tai-Sung,

we'd better make him believe that his plan was successful.

Wai-Tung!

Go to the forest and make the tiger's body disappear.

But don't erase its tracks.

What about the bodies of the three guards?

When the Mongols find their companions with claw wounds,

they will think that the tiger attacked and killed them.

Tao is our high priest. He lives in the Imperial Palace.

We'll send him the prince's clothes to make the Khan believe that he's dead.

You've let the princess get away.

Traitors!

Forgive me, sir.

Maybe she was killed.

Maybe, maybe, why "maybe"?

My orders should not be answered with a "maybe".

Prince Tai-Sung may have also died,

but his body vanished into thin air.

Forgive me, sire.

I did everything I could.

Well, you haven't done enough.

I cannot allow mistakes or slip-ups in such serious matters.

Take him away!

You'll pay for it with your life.

No, my lord! No, no, no!

I no longer have tears to shed.

Death and misfortune have spread their black wings over our land.

Does this belong to Prince Tai-Sung?

Some of our monks on pilgrimage who were returning to the monastery

saw a tiger dragging the remains of a boy.

But before they could help him,

the beast escaped, hauling the body of the child into the forest.

The monks have only been able to collect the clothes of the poor victim

as a proof of his misfortune.

I've had the bitter fate of recognizing

in the midst of these dirty and bloody clothes

my beloved lord's mantle.

My heart bleeds at such horrible news.

I will make it public so that all the people mourn with us

the death of the prince.

Wang's tavern?

Yes, it's straight ahead. Turn right and you'll find it.

Wang's tavern?

That one over there.

7, 4, 8, 4, 5, 6...

3, 9, 7, 4, 4...

Hello, my friend. Welcome to my humble tavern.

Give me your hand.

I want to make sure that this ring fits your finger.

I'm sorry. It's too big for mi finger.

But I know someone whom the ring fits perfectly.

Follow me.

This stranger wants to try a ring on your finger.

Go away.

I was waiting for you. I'm Cho.

How did you know I was coming?

I know a lot about you.

Knowing that you are a friend feeds my hopes for good things to come.

I heard that you are a man up for anything.

A man without courage is like a sword that has no edge.

Together we can do a lot of things.

How is the prince you saved?

Better with every passing day.

No!

Help!

- I'm going to teach you! - Leave me alone!

Stop messing around!

No!

Innkeeper!

What do you want?

A room for me and my little flower.

Get your hands off the girl!

Who are you to tell me what to do?

Mind your own business!

Leave me alone!

I'm going to give you what you deserve!

Move over!

I told you to let go off that girl!

Need a better explanation?

Who's responsible for this?

A raving lunatic! He's in the tavern!

Follow me.

There is nothing to fear, but you'd better get out of here.

Listen...

Thank you.

Is there any other way out?

Yes, on the other side of the basement.

Go with him.

See you at the monastery.

I will take care of the guards. Go!

The guards! The guards!

Stay where you are!

Be still!

Go back!

Answer me. Are you the one that gave that poor man a beating?

A beating?

I was just teaching him some acrobatic exercises

and he went through the window.

Are you trying to make fun of me?

Even if I wanted to, I couldn't make fun of you.

Your face tells me that you are very smart.

A stretching of muscles on the torture rack would do you good.

Gee!

That's a cure I don't know about.

Have you already tried it? It is more suitable for you.

Be careful, I don't like your insolence.

Look, I'm not being insolent.

It better be that way or I'll have to wipe that smile off your face

Really? Now it's you who is being insolent.

I find it fun,

but I'm in a hurry and can't waste my time.

So I should respond to that as soon as possible.

Seize him! Seize him!

I apologize for what happened, but it wasn't my fault.

Sometimes misfortune turns into a blessing.

Goodbye, my friend.

Is there some rice for me?

I've been trying all day to forget your face

and your eyes.

But I can't.

Say, who are you?

Is that old man a relative of yours?

Then, �is he a friend of the one who accompanied you?

Are you in love with your companion?

No, it's not possible.

I can't imagine you in love with a man like that.

You are so innocent.

Would you mind my staying here?

You know, every night I have to change my nest.

Hide each time in a different place.

Are you hiding? Why?

Because it's not difficult to dodge a spear in the daytime,

but it is to avoid an arrow in the dark.

Whose arrow?

From some soldier of the Great Khan.

I am a rebel.

The Mongols will continue torturing China

until our flesh-and-blood compatriots can drive them out of our country.

Keep talking, please.

What do you want to know?

Why do I hate Mongolians?

Because they are oppressors,

invaders of our land.

They plunge their bloodstained hands into our most sacred treasures.

I don't know why I am telling you this.

Because I can understand them perfectly.

Understand them?

Such a young girl?

Do you know this symbol?

It's the Imperial Tattoo.

Forgive me.

I didn't know who you were.

You can't stay here. We need to find a safer place.

Where? They're looking for me everywhere.

Nobody will find you in our hiding place in the mountains.

Tell me, who are you?

I do not know your name.

My name is Cho.

Cho? The leader of the rebels?

I've heard a lot about you.

Forgive me, but I have to leave.

Are you going to leave me here alone?

Do not worry. I will be back soon.

I have to find a way to get you out of here.

Move over! Get out of the way!

No! My son! It's my son!

What has he done?

They consider him a rebel.

Someone has betrayed him.

Do not despair.

It shall end soon.

Run! It's a trap!

Seize him!

Let me go! No!

Take her away! Hurry up!

Come on! Move yourself!

Quickly!

Come on! Hurry up! Go!

Your information proved to be precise and very useful.

You.

No, no.

You must take advantage of the strength and impetus

of your adversary and make them your allies, all right?

Wait.

Stand up.

Fight among yourselves.

Watch the positions.

Again. Go ahead.

From the beginning.

Well done.

You.

Attack him.

How can I do that? He's the prince!

If he were a Mongolian, you wouldn't care

whether he was a prince or a beggar.

Go on.

Come with me!

We found him by the river.

He was hit by an arrow.

Ma... Maciste...

Tell me.

Princess Lei-ling was captured by some soldiers.

She's in danger.

They're going to kill her! They will kill her!

They are rebels.

They have been in agony for two moons.

You'd better start talking.

Who was the man who entered the hut?

Where is the rebels' hiding place?

You don't want to talk, huh?

I'll loosen your tongue, take it for granted.

You're Princess Lei-ling.

Leave her alone!

What a lucky meeting!

Why haven't you talked, princess?

If your tattoo hadn't given you away,

the executioner would have had no mercy on you.

Save your irony.

I know that I am your prisoner

and I know the future you have in store for me.

My prisoner? Oh, no.

You mean my guest.

Or rather,

the queen of this palace and all the surrounding land.

You have nothing to fear.

I will not renege on the promise I made

before your poor father's lifeless body.

Those who raided your convent have paid with their lives.

Follow me, princess.

Come with me.

Today is a day of great joy for China.

What are you waiting to kill her?

Do you want the Chinese to set her free?

Nobody will come to free Lei-ling, because she's not a prisoner.

She is the queen of this palace and this city.

She's the Empress of China.

And I will be the Emperor who'll reign by her side.

What are you talking about?

By marrying Lei-ling in accordance with the law, I will ascend the throne.

No Chinese will dare to raise his hand

against the divine sovereign of the Celestial Empire.

Your guards disturbed my morning prayers.

Forgive me if I've bothered you,

but I was eager to give you the good news personally.

You yourself will be officiating my wedding to Princess Lei-ling.

What you ask is impossible.

Nothing is impossible if I want it.

This wedding is!

Or, at least, it's not possible to hold the ceremony as quickly as you wish.

You should know that our laws provide for a long and complicated ritual.

All right.

Only on the condition that the waiting time is kept to a minimum.

A priest must not serve a sovereign to carry out an injustice.

It's necessary that I renounce the priestly ministry

rather than corrupt it with infamous and despicable actions.

I like neither the tone of your voice,

nor the things you say.

Don't forget that it's me and only me

who rules this country.

I don't know how long I can delay the wedding.

Therefore we must hurry if we want to save the princess,

and with her the whole of China.

If the Grand Khan marries the princess, that will be the end of us.

The throne will legally belong to him and we won't be able to rebel.

We must go to the palace.

And kidnap the princess.

You are still very weak.

We have to take action.

Even at the cost of losing our lives in the attempt.

I'll go to Beijing.

I will slip into the palace

and with the help of the high priest, I will free Lei-ling.

But then... your life will be in danger.

I'm not Chinese, but

my love for justice has no limits whatsoever.

It's not related to the race and language of the people.

We must notify the high priest of Maciste's arrival.

Our little friend is a wonderful messenger.

A strong and generous man is on his way to the palace,

to free the princess.

You'll find him in the weapons room when the moon is very high in the sky.

The others will be ready next to the monastery.

Let's save Lei-ling and with her the whole of China.

By order of the Great Khan,

head of the Mongols and now regent of the Celestial Empire,

eight rebels, guilty of crimes against the security of the state,

have been sentenced to death.

But the Great Khan, in his infinite goodness and wisdom

and to honor his marriage to Princess Lei-ling,

has decided that only five of them will be executed in public

with a new system of his invention

that will be shown to you right now.

Instead of the heads of the condemned,

we have placed some painted pumpkins,

which will be cut off by the blades under the cart.

Proceed with the demonstration!

Here are the names of the lucky three men.

Get him!

Over there!

I saw that you were in danger and I've saved you.

You are Tao, the high priest.

I've heard that a strong man had joined us

and my old heart rejoiced like the roots of an old oak tree

burned by the hot summer sun when the first autumn rain comes.

But tell me, why did you come here?

To free Princess Lei-ling.

They sent you a message telling you that I was coming.

It didn't reach me.

This makes me think that our enemies

are looming more and more over us.

Anyhow, I'll try to help you.

As soon as it gets dark I'll be waiting for you

in the throne room, to take you to the princess.

I was waiting for you.

If you were able to enter the palace without being caught, you owe it to me.

The high priest, as you see, can do nothing more to help you now.

When a ruler wants a dead minister, the minister dies.

Don't fear for your life.

Nobody knows you are here except me.

I know the motive that brought you here.

That's why I helped you.

I also want to prevent that wedding.

I'll take you to Lei-ling to help you escape from here.

All right. Guide me.

No. Don't worry.

They will sleep for a long time. I've been cautious.

Lei-ling.

Don't be scared.

Cho sent me here to help you.

Cho?

Tell me, what happened to him?

Is he safe?

He's wounded.

It's his wound serious?

Yes, very serious.

But only the wound of his soul, not the physical one.

Only you can heal it.

Hurry up!

This way.

Quickly! The princess has escaped!

Make haste! Raise the alarm!

Now think about saving yourself.

I'll never forget what you did for us.

I did it for me.

Not for you.

Look, hoof prints of two horses.

They will be far away by now.

Brother!

Lei Ling!

We're very grateful to you.

If you hadn't made it, it would've been our end.

I'm glad to see you again.

Princess...

Princess?

You didn't call me that when I was at that hut by the river.

Many things have changed since that night.

You are Lei-ling, the daughter of the Emperor of China,

and I'm just Cho, a fisherman who is the son of a fisherman.

I can't call you any other way now.

It's useless for you to deny it.

The veil that you lost last night betrayed you.

Tell me, where did they plan to go?

Vinegar and salt. It makes people open up!

Keep whipping her.

No! No! I'll tell you everything!

Stop! Stop!

Talk.

Where is their hiding place?

No, no! You're wrong! You are completely wrong!

I don't know how to convince you that you're wrong, Cho.

Your attitude is nothing but stupid stubbornness.

You can't understand it.

I just know you love Lei-ling, and Lei-ling loves you.

That should be enough.

But you don't have the courage to admit it.

Don't you know what our destiny is?

Lei-ling's destiny is the Imperial Palace, sharing your throne.

Mine is the river and to go on being a fisherman.

Men should be judged for what they are worth and for what they do.

My father wrote that down and I learned it from him.

Remember this.

Come on, let's go with Lei-ling.

And don't forget that now you are the chief, our leader.

Mongols! The Mongols are coming!

They are well armed.

There are several hundreds.

It's a true army.

Liu Tai might have betrayed us.

Can we defend ourselves?

We'll do our best. The place is good for resisting the attack.

Can we defeat them?

I don't know. There are a lot of them.

Let's go.

Hurry up!

Over there!

Wait. What are you doing?

You are the son of an emperor. You cannot fight.

Please run away!

It's my duty, sister. I'll do it for my people.

But you're still a baby, Tai-Sung.

I would be a coward if I ascended my father's throne

without having fought to win it back.

Even if you get involved in the battle, that won't decide its fate.

Others will follow my example.

No!

Tai-Sung!

It's up there!

Here begins a secret corridor that goes through the whole mountain.

It could lead us safely to the other side.

But for centuries the rocks have been blocking it, rendering it useless.

It's our only hope right now.

Tell the people to go to the monastery. Quick!

Go back to the monastery! Hurry up!

Everybody back!

Run! Faster!

Come on!

Go away!

Run before it's too late! Quick!

Try to hold up the Mongols for as long as possible.

Come on, break down the door!

Bring the ladders. Go up! Up!

Come on! Hurry up with the log!

What are you waiting for? You must leave the monastery!

You can't stay here!

You can't stay here!

They will kill you all!

You have to believe me!

Quick! The Mongols will have no mercy on us.

This is our house. We cannot leave it.

Our destiny is written in the book of the Eternal.

You go first.

No, I'm going with you!

Faster! Faster!

Come on!

Forward! Forward!

No, prince! No!

Tai-Sung!

- Take him with you! - No!

A holy hermit has lived up there for a long time.

He remains silent. Nobody knows how he can live.

But perhaps he'll answer you and advise us about what we should do.

Listen to me, old sage.

I am Maciste.

And they are... people who suffer.

People of your country.

They fought and died to free their homeland.

And this is little Tai-Sung.

The only son of the emperor, his heir.

Killed while he was defending his people.

Even being so young, he didn't hesitate to give his life.

Just like all of us!

Now these people need your help, to know which way to go.

You can give us advice.

if despair and pain mean something to you,

I implore you!

Help them!

I know there is faith and goodness in your actions

and also in your words.

It's not hatred that drives you to fight this battle,

neither is it ambition nor revenge.

I can see that you are a generous man who fights for good

and for justice.

Thus, listen to my voice.

Listen carefully, Maciste.

The sound of the bell is the song for the dead.

The sound of the big bell with an icy blow of death

will be the hymn for the resurgence of the living.

We are grateful to you, old sage.

Maciste will do everything within his reach.

Being silent, he kept death away.

But he has agreed to die in order to help us.

We must make that bell sound by all means.

The strongest people tried in vain.

Only a miracle could help us.

Chinese people are just waiting for a sign

to create an army and get ride of the oppressors.

I'll get it.

I'm going with you.

But this is impossible.

They'll discover you.

Don't worry, princess.

We'll be careful.

The moment has come.

The situation is appropriate. We can't lose more time.

You'll see, the luck will favor us.

But... But how do you want to find the bell?

It's in the palace garden.

And the garden is some kind of a maze.

How do you want to get into the garden unnoticed?

I must try.

No, Maciste. You've already done a lot for China.

And you too.

Instead I...

What do you mean?

I've learned many things these days.

And my brother's death won't have been in vain.

I will return to Beijing.

The Great Khan will be glad to marry me.

I am sure that this marriage will bring back the peace to China.

No way! I'll stop you from doing that madness!

No, Cho.

I know that when I arrive at the palace,

the guards will open the doors as soon as they see me.

I will follow you at some distance to protect you.

Meanwhile you'll go to Beijing.

When you hear the first toll, you will attack the city with your supporters.

I'll take care of the guards.

Your decision, Princess Lei-ling, proves your wisdom

and my heart rejoices at the news.

I've been always waiting for someone like you

Soon we'll celebrate our marriage with a magnificence never seen before in China.

I hope to be a good wife, Great Khan.

But I think I don't qualify to be a good empress.

Don't worry about that.

I'll take care of the governing.

You just need to make your master happy.

I am your master and your servant at the same time.

Hurry up. The bell is over there.

- The bell! - The bell!

The bell!

The time for freedom is upon us.

That's why you returned to the palace!

To stab me in my back!

But you won't taste the fruit of your betrayal.

You will die like the others who were opposed to my will.

Close the door!

Princess Lei-ling!

What happens?

Go on. Quickly.

Go! Go!

Put him on the floor. Right here.

On the floor!

Luckily,

the legend of the strong and invincible man is over.

- What can you tell me? - He's dead.

His soul, as well as his blood, has left his heart.

This is the end of us.

We're finished.

Now I'd like to see if the rebels still have the courage to attack us.

Call everybody so that whoever dares to rebel

will learn that it's useless to fight against me.

Bury him in the deepest subterranean room

to keep his body and even his soul imprisoned forever.

Come on, take him!

Quick, quick!

Make haste!

Go!

Maciste did a great thing.

Now it's up to us to take the initiative.

Forward!

The rebels have fallen into the trap!

Surround them! Let's wipe them out!

We wont' forgive anyone this time.

I'm talking to you, Maciste.

Listen to my voice.

Leave the land of the dead

and come back to life to make justice triumph.

You are going to die. Each and every one. You'll be satisfied.

Our death won't be in vain.

Thousands will follow us

and they'll expel you of our land.

If you mean those dirty wretches out there,

don't count on them. Believe me.

They will see the show, too,

and afterwards, they'll return home with their tails between their legs.

You're the first!

Tell me the truth. Are you frightened?

Call out to Maciste and ask him to release you.

Sometimes life can come from death,

This has happened for me and for you.

With your marriage, a new dynasty has been born.

I am sure that henceforth there will be peace and justice for all.

Why are you leaving?

In the same way fate brought me here, it will take me to another place

where I can can help good in its eternal battle to defeat evil.

Be happy.

Translation from Italian and subtitles made by gamboler