Original subtitles

(TIRES SQUEALING)

(TIRES SQUEALING)

(ITALO LAUGHING)

(ENGINE REVVING)

(TIRES SQUEALING)

(WOMAN SCREAMING)

That's right. Adjust them well, so I can break them myself.

(MAN GROANS)

They even salute him.

Dickheads.

I was negotiating, for God's sake.

What now?

I've avenged comrade Florio.

Avenged... He asked for it.

As you were only asking for a reason to shed blood.

Look! We've become absolute evil!

I don't care.

The King is negotiating to have the Socialists

in the government.

That's the outcome of your masterpiece, genius.

The Socialists are dead. I crushed them.

All farmers' and workers' organizations

have called a strike against us.

You crushed us.

We're in great shape.

Scared for the strike, the King decided:

no Socialists in the government.

MAN: Excuse me. Mr. Rossi?

ITALO: The dead have dug their own graves.

We're almost there.

Let's overthrow this dying state and it's done.

One last push. Now.

Who cares about one or two ministries? We can take it all!

(ECHOING)

Good. The Socialists are crushed.

With the strike, they dug their own graves, right?

One final push and let's overthrow this dying state.

Can't you see that?

Listen to me, forget politics.

Who cares about one or two ministries?

We can take it all! Everything!

Round up all the comrades you can.

- For what? - Comrade Balbo!

Present!

I want 20,000 Blackshirts.

- Let's give the last push now. - I'll call them.

Go.

(DOOR CLOSES)

What? I've always been a dog lover.

"Fascists, Italians.

The hour of the ultimate battle

has rung."

What are you wearing?

It's for Facta's party.

Facta's party. A first-class funeral.

- We're not going anymore? - Never crossed my mind.

You told me to RSVP.

You misunderstood.

FACTA: In 30 years of parliamentary life,

I've seen so many difficult moments.

This is just one of many.

- Congratulations. - Thanks. You're stunning.

I trust that everything will be resolved

by bringing the Fascists into the government.

A jump seat, of course. Nothing more.

To keep them happy.

Your Excellency, a word.

There are reports of Blackshirts rallies.

- Where? - Naples.

Mussolini will speak at the San Carlo.

- (SIGHS) - (SOPRANO SINGING OPERA)

NAPLES, OCTOBER 24, 1922

- Tens of thousands... - Shh!

30,000 or 40,000. We can't hold them back any longer.

Let her finish. Show some respect for beauty.

(SOPRANO CONTINUES)

(POUNDING ON DOOR)

- (POUNDING CONTINUES) - (CROWD SHOUTS)

(CROWD SHOUTS)

Keep going.

Please, keep going. Keep going.

- (POUNDING CONTINUES) - (SINGING)

CROWD: Duce! Duce! Duce!

Duce! Duce! Duce!

(DOOR BURSTS OPEN)

CROWD: Duce! Duce! Duce!

Duce! Duce! Duce!

Duce! Duce! Duce!

ROME OR DEATH

Duce! Duce! Duce!

ARDITI BRIGADE

Duce! Duce! Duce!

(CROWD CONTINUES TO CHEER AND CHANT)

Duce! Duce! Duce!

Duce! Duce! Duce!

(CROWD FALLS SILENT)

We've gathered in Naples from all over Italy.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

Italy is watching this rally

because there's nothing in postwar Europe and in the world

more important, original, and powerful

than Italian Fascism!

(CROWD CHEERS)

- It's true! - MAN: Duce!

It is only us, the Fascists, who can restore order

to a state that once again has shown its impotence!

Which Italy do you want?

The one of strikes, of the Bolsheviks?

CROWD: No!

(CROWD BOOING)

Or the one that works

- and prospers? - CROWD: Yes!

Safe!

Then there is one road, and one road only.

Fascism must take power.

CROWD: Yes!

Duce! Duce! Duce!

- The question is... - Duce! Duce! Duce!

The question is, how?

Legally?

Or illegally?

Electoral conquests or insurrections?

CROWD: Insurrections!

The answer

is not up to us.

We're ready for anything!

Yes!

Because if the clash must be settled

by a recourse to force,

victory will be ours.

We are worthy of it!

CROWD: Eja eja, alala!

Eja eja, alala!

Blackshirts!

Either they'll give us the government,

or we'll take it by marching on Rome.

CROWD: Rome! Rome! Rome!

Rome! Rome! Rome!

Rome! Rome! Rome!

Rome! Rome! Rome!

M: The die is cast.

Now there's no turning back.

- Rome or death! - (HORSE NEIGHS)

MAN: Asshole!

Dickhead.

MAN: Piece of shit!

(MUFFLED MUSIC PLAYING)

Gentlemen, I grant you the honor

of leading the revolution.

At midnight,

on the 26th of this glorious October 1922,

you'll be commanding our forces to conquer the nation.

(THUDDING)

The plan is simple.

We'll concentrate our forces around the capital.

Santa Marinella,

Mentana,

and Tivoli.

The headquarters, the command center of the insurrection,

which is you

will be here.

In Perugia.

The revolution will have five stages.

Mobilization and occupation of public buildings.

Concentration of our forces around Rome.

Ultimatum to Facta about the transfer of power.

Entry into Rome and takeover of the ministries,

at all costs.

Any objections?

Good.

And the fifth?

What fifth?

You said the revolution will have five stages.

In case of defeat, rapid retreat towards central Italy.

That's the fifth.

Dickhead.

Duce.

No one despises that putrid, senile,

and wretched Italy more than I do.

A country of castrated pacifists.

But I have doubts.

You have doubts, De Vecchi?

Cultivating doubts is what the castrated do.

But our militias aren't ready.

We have no weapons, no uniforms, no training.

Wake up, De Vecchi, we have been fighting for three years.

Yes.

But it's one thing to go against four ragged peasants,

- another against the army... - (SHUSHING)

...against a state!

De Vecchi, any state worthy of the name

would come through this fucking door now,

and arrest us all!

It's scandalous that it doesn't happen.

This is no longer a state.

- What are you afraid of? - I'm not afraid...

Why a command center in Perugia? It's too isolated.

Unpredictability, De Vecchi.

They'll never see us coming.

Because we won't get there!

De Vecchi!

Defeatism is the soldier's worst flaw.

It's not defeatism, it's experience. Yes.

I know my job, that's why I say that we need more time.

Putrid, senile, and wretched Italy.

Country of castrated pacifists, and chickenshits!

- Don't you dare! Don't! - Be quiet.

- Or what? - Calm down!

- Or what? - Calm down!

- Gentlemen. - Quiet.

M: Gentlemen.

Calm down.

- Calm down. - Gentlemen.

The revolutionary act of marching on Rome

either happens now or it never will.

There's no government, institutions are falling apart.

The King changes his mind every two minutes.

We can't give him time to pull himself together.

That fleeting moment the Socialists were unable to grasp

is now in Fascist hands.

And we won't let it slip away.

- To us! - ALL: To us.

It's suicide.

- (CROWD CHEERING) - As if I didn't know.

- Of course it's suicide. - MAN: To us!

The army will tear us to pieces.

WOMAN: Hail the Duce!

It's a ridiculous plan, I know.

With the command cut off,

and the garrisons concentrated hours and hours from Rome...

MAN 2: To us! We will win!

- MAN 3: Great, Mussolini! - MAN 4: Hail the Duce!

To whom, victory?

ALL: To us!

To whom, victory?

ALL: To us!

I'm against suicide.

They don't know, but it's all fake.

Marching, rising up... What are we? Crazy?

To Rome!

ALL: To Rome!

M: We must pretend.

We must pretend to be ready to march.

Pretend to rise up.

It's all fiction.

And to be believable,

it requires a certain dose of reality.

Therefore, movement.

(PEOPLE CLAMORING)

Lots of movement!

Blackshirts here and there. Let's spread the word.

They're gathering, marching, rising up.

Oh God, give them more. Give them everything they want.

(TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS)

General, should we be worried?

It depends.

On what?

On what you'll ask us to do.

If you ask us to stay in the barracks,

you should be worried, Your Excellency.

They're many, they're fanatics.

They think they can do whatever they want.

But if you ask us to defend the kingdom...

There are 40 million Italians.

By comparison, they are only a small ragtag mob.

Impunity makes them look strong.

If you let us do our duty, there's nothing to worry about.

At the first shot, Fascism will collapse.

(FASCISTS SHOUTING)

OCTOBER 26, 1922

De Vecchi is right, because that General is right.

We're a ragtag mob.

And at the first shot... Poof!

We'll collapse like a house of cards.

No shot must be fired.

Four.

- Four shirts? - M: Shirts, underwear, socks.

Four of everything. Just in case.

Four.

And my formal suit as well.

The formal suit?

Anything can happen.

I need to be ready for any eventuality,

from the most inauspicious to the most glorious.

I don't understand what happened.

Rachele.

Listen to me.

In the next 48 hours, you and the kids must stay at home.

Okay?

Why?

Shh.

(CLOCK TICKING)

Here, 90 infantry companies, five artillery companies.

Sixty infantry here,

and four military engineer units.

Here, here and here,

we can assemble 200 infantry units in two hours.

And 60 artillery units.

Where the army isn't already stationed,

we have 113 territorial garrison companies.

Get me Mussolini.

MAN: Yes, Your Excellency.

Let's make sure that this is unnecessary.

There's nothing that can't be resolved with a few seats.

BOY: Mr. Mussolini!

- Mr. Mussolini! - What is it?

- Telephone! - Come down!

(CANS CLATTERING)

M: Hurry!

Prime Minister Facta.

It's an honor to be part of a government headed by you.

But the enthusiasm,

the energy, and the drive for change of Fascism

can't be contained by just one ministry.

Take care.

Call him back.

And you refused?

I can get more.

Remember, Benito. Better is the enemy of good.

- Trust your husband. - You?

- You have another? - Not me. Do you?

Rachele, only three things count in my life:

you, our children, and the homeland.

Whatever I do, I do only for you.

(TELEPHONE RINGING)

Never cry.

Where are you going?

- To take care of your future. - (RINGING CONTINUES)

To us!

ALL: To us!

(RINGING CONTINUES)

No shot must be fired. Not even one.

- Sir? - Yes?

Prime Minister Facta on the phone.

He's chasing me down.

- I'll take it in there. Bianca. - Yes?

M: Go home for today. Day off.

BIANCA: All right, sir.

(DOOR CLOSES)

Hello?

Facta. Let's get this straight.

You must take your offer to the next level.

Five ministries.

Interior, Foreign, Defense, Navy, Labor.

For less than that, I can't hold the Blackshirts back.

You have until midnight to give me an answer.

Now excuse me, I have to go.

We've started negotiating.

- Cesarino! - Benito!

You were behind the door?

I knew you'd call for me.

Cesarino.

Nobody lifts a finger before midnight.

Make it clear to everyone. No mistakes now.

Now, take my calls.

Tell them you have no idea where I am.

- Is that clear? - Tres clair.

Good. I'm going out for a moment, please.

Where are you going with that suitcase?

I have a thing to do.

- A thing. - (RINGING INSIDE SUITCASE)

(RINGING STOPS)

Cesarino, I have a plan.

- Mm-hmm. - I'll tell you

at the right moment.

All right.

Am I involved?

Of course.

- Sorry I'm late. - Where are we at?

(ORCHESTRA TUNING)

I've asked for five big ministries.

Really?

(CHUCKLES) There's no government without me.

The fear of the insurrection is eating them alive.

Why limit ourselves?

The new man, the futurist, knows no limits.

He runs, he flies,

he tramples on everything that comes between him and tomorrow.

What's wrong?

If we fight, they'll slaughter us, and then arrest us.

The futurist doesn't think about being arrested. Never.

(APPLAUSE)

The main thing is the dogs mustn't fuck up.

(ORCHESTRA PLAYING)

What's wrong, Benito?

Every time I need the dogs not to fuck up,

they always do, without fail.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

Boss, what are we waiting for?

Orders.

Boss, the guys don't like waiting.

Neither do I, but we have to wait.

(EXHALES DEEPLY)

I smell trenches.

I smell Piave.

Show me again what you did in the war.

Fuck, like this!

Fuck, like this!

No, I really... I don't understand.

What are we doing here?

We occupy the prefecture and steer the insurrection.

Yes, but why here?

In the middle of nowhere.

Far from everything, roads, railways.

De Vecchi.

No one wants to be in the heart of the action more than me.

But we are the brains.

And the brains have to stay safe.

DE BONO: Cesare!

Look at this!

- What? - DE BONO: Come!

Look.

- Dear God! - See?

DE VECCHI: The Royal Army.

DE BONO: Safe, right?

ITALO: Enemies of the homeland.

- Blackshirts! - What are you doing?

Are you mad?

Wake up! Come on!

Come on, drunkards! Wake up!

Everyone!

Get down, call everyone!

DE VECCHI: No, it's not time yet.

The Duce is negotiating.

- Blackshirts, with me! - MAN: Let's go, let's go!

See you in hell, De Vecchi.

- (ORCHESTRA PLAYING) - (CHORUS SINGING)

Nervous?

No, not at all.

- (DOOR OPENS) - (M GASPS)

What's the news?

- WOMAN: Shh! - Idiot!

Facta's been calling you.

How many ministries?

- Good. Very good. - But that was before.

Before what?

Some Blackshirt garrisons moved ahead of time.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

(FASCISTS YELLING)

The premature insurrection has alerted

the forces of the kingdom.

Facta is mobilizing the army

and has requested an urgent meeting with the King.

- He mobilized the army? - ROSSI: Yes.

- We have to go. - What's happening?

We go, as I told you.

Take your things.

- Let's go. - WOMAN: Shh!

Fuck off.

Let's go.

That was the plan.

The plan was to create tension, have our demands accepted,

but avoid the fight.

Okay. Where?

Switzerland.

You wanted to flee to Switzerland.

Only if things went really bad, Cesarino.

Switzerland is so crepuscular, not futuristic at all.

What are you saying?

What? Lenin planned the Bolshevik Revolution

from there, in exile.

You put those three in charge

so the blame would fall on them.

If I go down, Fascism dies.

Not if you go down with honor.

We weren't supposed to go down.

It was a bluff, okay? An act!

You were leaving without me.

I would've come for you.

They mobilized the army, so what?

They'll shoot us, tear us apart!

So you leave without me before knowing if they will.

Once you know, it's too late.

They were supposed to surrender without a single shot.

- We surrender instead. - History will laugh at us.

I'd rather die.

- Look at the reality! - I see it!

- Shh! - Go fuck yourself!

Crepuscular, and really melancholy.

(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)

(ORCHESTRA PLAYING)

What did you want to do?

- Be a minister. - Me too.

Instead,

they'll shoot us for high treason.

That lunatic.

(ITALO LAUGHING)

How can we fire at people with their dicks out,

pissing all over us?

MARGHERITA: Come under the umbrella.

M: The umbrella is a bourgeois relic.

The weapon of the Pope's guard.

People with umbrellas can't make the revolution.

Hail to the Duce!

(THUNDERCLAP)

M: If we don't get a deal by midnight,

we'll go to Switzerland.

Get Facta on the fucking phone.

They're looking for him.

Three ministers, five under-secretaries.

I think you can demand more.

I'd be happy with two ministries and four under-secretaries.

I'd be happy not to get shot.

- How much longer? - I hear voices.

He's coming. Wait.

Yes, I'm still here.

Yes.

Yes, I understand.

- What did you understand? - Shh!

Very well, thank you.

Prime Minister Facta is not there.

He's with the King.

There are insurrections across the Kingdom.

We have mobilized the army and await your orders, Your Majesty.

He made me think he wanted to join the government

but he wanted to take it.

I've failed, Your Highness. I shall resign.

VITTORIO: The Fascists are rising up.

There's no government and we can't form one.

You were my last chance.

Being the King of this country is a very thankless job.

What if I also resign?

Your Majesty! A King cannot resign.

- I can abdicate. - Leaving your son in trouble?

He is so tall.

Sometimes I wonder who he got it from.

- Your Highness. - What is that, Facta? A joke.

On the contrary, Your Highness, You're a pillar...

Again?

Your Majesty. As my last act,

I suggest declaring a state of siege.

To repress the Fascist barbarism.

The Royal Army will have no trouble

wiping out that violent mob.

Once the order is restored, we'll think of the government.

I should give the order to shoot my own subjects?

Hasn't there been enough shooting?

The Royal Army is certain a sign of reaction will suffice.

The Fascists will collapse if we crush them now.

Let there be a state of siege.

Prepare the decree.

And I shall sign it.

(INTENSE MUSIC PLAYING)

SOLDIER: Move!

The army.

SOLDIER: Move!

- Will they shoot at us? - M: Now you wonder?

- Then maybe we should... - (HISSES)

Stop.

Turn on the lights.

SOLDIER: Light!

Light.

- Benito, what do we do? - Quiet.

(ALARM RINGING)

(RINGING STOPS)

- Benito! - Benito!

He's running away.

He'll get himself killed.

M: Major?

Major!

Do you know who I am?

Of course, sir.

A member of congress.

Of course, a member of congress.

May I ask your name?

Tufano Nicola, member of congress.

Tufano.

Your presence here

makes me think you are unaware of the latest news.

The Fascist militias have risen up

and Italy, as far as Rome, has fallen into our hands.

Inform yourself.

The army has been sent back to barracks.

Inform yourself, Tufano, inform yourself.

I'll remember your name,

Tufano!

Tufano.

And you idiots, connect me to command now!

The decree of the state of siege, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty. There are columns of Blackshirts marching on Rome.

If you don't sign, we can't open fire.

We can no longer delay.

Leave me alone.

(DOOR OPENS)

(DOOR CLOSES)

(BANGING ON DOOR)

I don't care. It's our motto. I don't care about dying.

I don't care about Giolitti, and the sun of tomorrow

I don't care about the Commissioner, the Prefect,

or the King!

(IN FRENCH) Why are you still awake?

- I'm working. - It's very late.

I'm coming!

I'm coming!

Shit!

(IN ITALIAN) Another copy!

Yes, sir. Very clear, sir. Over and out.

Shit! Shit!

(WHISPERS) Hey! What's going on?

The major got a call.

He looked up here.

Holy shit!

TUFANO: Soldier!

What the fuck did I tell you?

He's approaching the artillery.

Holy shit!

I didn't imagine to die tonight.

But if I had known,

this is exactly the dress I would have chosen.

You too.

You look nice in a formal suit.

(BLOWS KISS)

(TELEPHONE RINGING)

- Answer it. - Why me?

Fucking answer it. They see me.

- You're closer. - Fucking crawl!

Answer it!

Crawl!

ROSSI: Hello?

I don't understand.

The King didn't sign it.

What?

What?

What?

The King didn't sign it.

MARGHERITA: Benito!

(ROSSI LAUGHING)

We won?

We won!

I won!

I won!

Why didn't the King sign?

He didn't want a bloodshed,

he didn't trust his own army.

He felt there was no alternative.

Or maybe he simply thought, "Why should I bother?"

He thought the disease could be the cure.

Or maybe he sensed it was the end of an era

and it was useless to resist.

We'll probably never know.

But here's what we know.

We know that things went exactly as I said.

Would you have bet on it?

No.

You don't understand people like me.

You see us as clowns, liars, fools.

- Outrageous. - Good evening.

That may be. But it's irrelevant.

We are the new. Every era has one.

A man who believes that his own dreams can come true.

39 years old.

A political gypsy.

16 months in parliament,

son of a blacksmith.

And now the King is waiting for me in Rome

to appoint me Prime Minister.

The youngest Prime Minster in the world.

(IN ITALIAN) Where were you?

MAN: Long live Mussolini!

(AUDIENCE APPLAUDS)

M: Did you see, Chiletta?

It'll be the best time of our life.

- MAN: Long live Mussolini! - You'll be the First Lady.

What does it mean?

Most important woman in the country.

You know me. I'm content with what I have.

Wave.

MAN 2: Long live Mussolini!

I just want to be the most important woman to you.

You are.

Now even more so.

MAN 3: Bravo, Mussolini!

Sit. Sit!

Maestro, please.

MAN 4: Bravo!

Thank you.

CROWD: Duce! Duce! Duce!

Will it ever depart?

Be patient. They love you.

Duce! Duce! Duce!

From now on everything has to work perfectly.

I want trains to run on time.

Duce! Duce! Duce!

Lord, see that we don't change.

See that we don't give in to pride and vanity.

To pride and vanity.

(HORN HONKS)

OCTOBER 30, 1922, 11:05

Congratulations.

Now that you've obtained what you wanted,

do me the favor of sending your people home.

Your Majesty. They walked for days to get to Rome.

Let's make them happy.

Let them march.

(VITTORIO SIGHS)

(CROWD CHEERING)

CROWD: Rome! Rome! Rome!

Rome! Rome! Rome!

Rome! Rome! Rome!

FASCISTS: Duce! Duce! Duce!

Duce! Duce! Duce!

M: Gentlemen.

What I perform today in this chamber

is an act of formal deference towards you,

and for which I don't expect

any special gratitude.

Now.

The Italian people, the best of them,

have stepped over the cabinet

and formed government above, outside,

and against any parliamentary designation.

I shall leave

to the gloomy zealots of super-constitutionalism

the task of discoursing about this, more or less plaintively.

I maintain

that revolution has its rights.

And I'm here to defend and maximize the power

of the Blackshirts revolution.

(CHEERING)

MAN: Bravo!

I refused to win in a landslide, and I could have done so.

I imposed limits on myself.

I have 300,000 young men armed to the teeth,

ready for anything,

and almost mystically ready to obey my orders.

I could have punished all those

who have slandered and tried to sully Fascism.

I could have made a bivouac

of this gloomy grey chamber.

Long live Parliament!

Long live Parliament!

- Yes! - I could have...

I could have shut down Parliament

and formed a government made only of Fascists.

I could have done so,

but I didn't want to.

(BOOING)

MAN: Shame on you!

(BOOING CONTINUES)

We should object for the dignity of the chamber.

This chamber has the government it deserves.

Gentlemen.

I don't wish to govern against the chamber.

As long as it is possible.

But this chamber must understand its particular position,

which makes it liable to dismissal

in two days or in two years.

Yes!

FASCISTS: Duce! Duce! Duce!

Democracy survives,

thanks to my kind courtesy.

For now.

You better be good.

FASCISTS: Duce! Duce! Duce!