Original subtitles

BENITO IN ITALIAN: How beautiful is our Romagna.

BENITO IN ITALIAN: How beautiful is our Romagna.

BENITO IN ITALIAN: How beautiful is our Romagna.

BENITO IN ITALIAN: How beautiful is our Romagna.

You were right to buy the house.

And now that things are going well,

we can think about renovating a little bit, right?

(CHUCKLES)

You were right to come here.

The air's good, the children have fun.

Milan is not the right place.

I'd like to spend some time here,

loosen my nerves.

I'm tied down by responsibilities.

The King's giving me the collar of the Most Holy Annunciation.

The highest honor of The House of Savoy.

I'll be the King's cousin,

and I can address him informally.

You can say something.

It's rewarding.

I've heard that in town...

There is someone who acts

with gallantry, very cocky.

Provincial gossip.

Who can be such a fool

to take liberties with the Duce's wife,

who's also the King's cousin?

Calumnies, right?

Am I right?

And since the world is full of slanderers and madmen,

I'll leave someone here

to watch over our reputation and your virtue.

What a shitty place.

Cousin.

(MOANING, HEAVY BREATHING)

(YELLING)

(MOANING, GRUNTING)

(YELLING)

Now we're gonna have to live up to it.

Look at this, all gold.

They say that when I die, I'll have to give it back.

Scrooge.

It'll remind you that you have to die.

Thank you for summoning death in a happy moment.

They whispered it to the Roman generals

when they came back after a victory

for them not to be caught by arrogance.

But I'm enjoying the moment now.

- Benito. - Eh?

That thing is heavy,

but the four million votes weigh more.

Willingly or unwillingly, you got your blank check.

What do you mean by "willingly or unwillingly"?

They voted for me.

I mean that you have no excuses.

Now, you must keep your promises.

Don't make mistakes, Benito.

Don't think you're almighty

or they'll throw you down

as easy as they gave you all that power.

What an ill- fated prophecy.

I think you're sorry I won.

Especially the way I won.

Don't you get it?

No one's taking me down.

The opposite.

I'll open the new term by reaching out to the opponent

in a conciliatory spirit.

A united country, from right to left.

United

behind its Duce.

I feel you want to say something.

Nothing.

I can feel it. What the hell! Say it! For God's sake.

- Nothing. - Say it for God's sake!

When will you get rid

of this childish obsession to be loved by all?

When will you stop being the bird of ill omen?

I love you.

We have a different view of love,

that's clear.

I love you more than myself.

And it's not good.

It's not good, no.

Mr. Matteotti asked for the floor.

Enough, go away!

Keep your testicles protected.

This man will crush them.

It's like a superpower.

He speaks, talks about numbers, statistics,

causes you testicular pain.

As if you kept your testicles out in the open air, under hail.

MAN: Calm down, colleagues.

Matteotti!

The votes were not obtained freely.

- MAN: Stop it! That's not true! - (INDISTINCT SHOUTING)

No voter was free.

ALL: That's a disgrace!

Calm down, please.

And that's because every citizen knew

the fascist armed militia were watching, threatening.

Honorable gentleman, please.

All over Italy, the armed militias

surrounded the voting booths.

It was forbidden to collect signatures to present the lists,

political assemblies were forbidden.

That's not true. What has been forbidden?

Mr. President, I quote facts without adjectives,

without insults, and I am not allowed to talk.

Honorable colleagues, please sit down.

Don't interrupt the debate.

Honorable Matteotti, please proceed,

but be brief and conclude.

Should I be the one to be brief?

You should be the one to calm down the others.

And conclude!

Candidates weren't even allowed to move freely.

Many of them decided to give up running

because they knew they were in danger.

What kind of danger? What are you talking about?

Honorable Matteotti, please finish

and don't cause accidents.

The others keep me from talking,

I'm not the one to cause accidents.

You don't scare me.

- Long live militia! - Go!

Honorable Matteotti, continue, but be careful.

I ask to speak, not prudently or recklessly,

but as an MP!

There are cases of people who voted ten or twenty times.

What?

Please finish up, Matteotti.

I conclude by saying that for all these reasons

and many others, I was not allowed to mention,

we call for the election to be cancelled.

I made my speech.

Now, prepare my funeral prayer.

(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)

(PHONE RINGING)

It's unacceptable.

Unacceptable, you're right.

- What's unacceptable? - What?

What is unacceptable to you?

The things he said.

We won democratically.

No.

I don't get it.

It's unacceptable that after this talk,

that man can still move.

This is unacceptable, Cesarino. For God's sake.

But he moves.

He moves as if nothing had happened.

With his hat, his briefcase. A schoolboy.

A class leader who divides the world

between good and bad.

Pathetic. Pathetic.

With his strong principles, his inflexible ethics.

A son of the rich who chose to be with the poor,

the exploited, the weak.

The exact opposite of me.

I, son of poverty, love power, detest misery

and despise the weak.

MATTEOTTI: Velia?

Velia?

Velia?

Children?

He's been busting our balls since the time we were born.

A hundred and six speeches.

All against us.

It's a book, 91 pages in two columns,

very thick.

"A year of fascist domination."

Hear me out.

"The son of Bonci Guerrino is stabbed in the dark of night.

At night, fascists attack Umberto Cortesi's house.

The father, who went out to defend his son,

is killed with a stick.

Teresa Canale, who's in advanced stage of pregnancy,

is obliged to swallow castor oil,

while she's being beaten and robbed."

Ninety-one pages, Cesarino, how the fuck is that possible?

We've been busy.

Read the introduction.

- Benito... - Read Cesarino.

Read.

- But I don't want... - Read the introduction.

- Fine, I'll read. - Read!

The introduction.

"A year of fascist domination."

Loud, loud.

"The fascist government justifies..."

Louder!

- "The fascist govern"... - Louder!

Read.

"The fascist government justifies the armed conquest

of political power,

the use of violence...

MATTEOTTI: ...the use of violence...

and the risk of a civil war..."

"...with the urgent need to restore the authority..."

"...of the law and the state..."

"...of the law and the state..."

"...and restore the economy..."

"...the economy and finance,

by saving them from destruction.

The numbers, the facts and the documents

of these pages show that the arbitrary

has replaced the law as it had never happened before.

The state served the faction.

The nation is divided into two orders,

dominators and subjects.

The profits from speculation and capitalism

have skyrocketed.

WOMAN: The fascists!

MATTEOTTI: And the wages and resources

of the working class and the middle class

have lost every kind of freedom

and the dignity of citizens!

They lost both every freedom and dignity!

But this is just a little bit more than an illegal booklet.

And then, nobody reads anymore.

He goes abroad to talk about this

That's why we took his passport.

Benito,

we threatened him,

we tortured him, we beat him up,

we even shoved a bat up his ass.

Wherever he goes, he risks our people breaking his bones.

He spent more time hiding than in the open air.

He was separated from his wife and children for years.

It never hurt anybody.

But it's not the case for everybody.

VELIA: What a poor life you have.

And most of all, without any dear habit,

without any material comfort, ever.

MATTEOTTI: It's been a few years,

and we've found more seeds of pain than joy.

And when we thought we had found peace again,

we only found more turmoil.

But despite everything, hope and love do not diminish.

VELIA: But it'll be over.

We'll be united forever,

we'll have our own bed, our own light,

a warm corner to spend an hour of rest together.

MATTEOTTI: Tell me you love me

despite this awful life

that never lets us enjoy each other.

A disgusting sentimentalism.

There are also couples who love and suffer

because they can't be together, you know?

- Why are you using that tone? - What tone?

Yours, why that tone?

But I just want to say that we did everything to him,

we spared him nothing

of all the admissible things, Benito.

Who cares about that? Everyone knows our methods.

And they didn't stop you

from becoming head of government.

Quite the opposite.

But he can't go around saying we rigged the election.

They'd vote for me anyway.

Italians love me

and want to be ruled by me.

I want everyone to want it, and he gets in the way.

And with him as a secretary,

even the Socialists won't come back.

Benito, who cares about that, too.

That's not the point.

Then, what's the point?

What shall I do?

It's milk. What do you want to do?

Speak, for God's sake!

(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)

It seems Matteotti got his hands on some papers.

Will you tell me the whole story?

Or I'll tear your balls off.

The oil concession to the Americans.

Italians and the world don't care about fraud and violence.

But I wonder

how they would react to a corruption charge.

(TENSE MUSIC INTENSIFYING)

(MUSIC STOPS)

Inadmissible.

MATTEOTTI: I understand, but not even a ban.

It's not normal.

(DOOR OPENS, CLOSES)

Where were you?

- In the park. - You made me worry.

VELIA: What happened?

It's been difficult in the chamber.

Giacomo, think about what you do and what you say.

Velia, fascism won't fall alone.

(KID SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY, LAUGHING)

CESARINO: And it's not just about the oil.

He also seems to have proof

of an altered state budget that was presented to the King.

MAN 2: Is it true?

CESARINO: That's a foolish question.

With those shoes.

Matteotti is mad.

He should know that Mussolini needs blood every now and then.

What exactly did Benito say?

He said it's unacceptable that this man can move freely.

Really unacceptable.

And then, he said that you...

That I?

You touch yourself.

Huh?

You...

That I jerk off?

That pisses me off.

Didn't I put Forni in his place?

Tell him.

- I don't jerk off. - Show him.

- I got this. - Something good, though.

That's because if troubles come out,

everybody gets involved.

I told you I got this.

TELEGRAPH OFFICE

Please leave immediately. Stop.

Your presence is needed to define an ad contract. Stop.

- (BELL DINGS) - (BOTH GRUNTING)

(BELL DINGING)

(GROANING)

A telegram for you.

So, do you like it?

I was sure you'd like it.

Monolithic, beautiful.

The most beautiful gift I ever got.

Good.

It's my farewell gift. (VOICE ECHOING)

- I'm tired. - It's beautiful.

Bye, Benito.

You don't think you don't need me anymore.

You're convinced.

(SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING)

Are you leaving me?

I'm the one who's sick of you.

That's better.

You won't miss me.

Go away. Go away.

Go away!

That's what I'm doing.

If you want, I'll scream it. I don't need you!

(DOOR CLOSES)

I don't need anything or anyone.

(GROANS, STRAINING)

Navarra!

Need anything, Excellency?

A glass of milk.

(GROANS)

- MAN 1: To us! - MAN 2: To us!

(MEN LAUGHING)

There's this socialist in the club

who still has the cards in his hands

- and looks at me like a bull. - Keep your voice down.

Three punches in his face.

- (YELLING) - (ALL LAUGHING)

MAN 3: Another one!

No.

The party's paying anyway, right?

The thing is that if they catch me,

who's saving me at trial?

- Mmm. Who? - Who?

- Him. - (ALL LAUGHING)

He shows up and lies for me.

The Duce. He was already a deputy.

- Long live the Duce! - Long live the Duce!

ALL: Long live the Duce! Long live the Duce!

(GROANS)

MAN: Please put yourself together, Excellency.

It's like a beast biting me inside.

Tell me the truth, is it serious?

- I think it's an ulcer attack. - A serious attack?

No, not at this stage.

Not at this stage? I got flames in my stomach.

Ulcer. I'll prescribe something.

But you need to follow a controlled diet.

And, if possible,

you must take some time off, your Excellency.

Nerves count in this type of disorders.

What do nerves got to do with it?

They do count.

In fact, your Excellency is facing a stressful phase

from a nervous point of view.

But we count on a conciliation of political life.

No more talk, give me something, for God's sake.

(GROANS)

The fires of hell inside of me.

MAN: Just a quick stop, please.

There's a pharmacy in the square.

- Holy shit, it's like a stab. - Shut up.

MAN: Just pull down the window.

No one has to see us.

It's not like this car goes unnoticed.

(FARTS)

(BOTH LAUGHING)

Can someone take him down, please?

It's the Chianti. I can't digest it.

Especially if you drink three liters.

(MAN GROANING)

- What time is it? - 4:40 p.m.

He doesn't miss a beat. You know how I got it?

A cousin who's a station manager.

A very special object.

Did you also say that to the Austrians during the war?

- Ahhh! - What the hell!

- You suck. - It sucks.

MAN 2: Looks like you got your throat cut. Look at it.

Damn, how can I return this car? Full of vomit?

- Can we open the windows now? - No.

(MEN CHUCKLING)

Much better.

Sometimes you just need to free yourself.

- Salvatore, good morning. - Honorable.

How are you?

Honorable, be careful, it's wet.

Careful, it's wet, sorry.

- Have a nice day. - Have a nice day.

There he is, no bullshit.

Stop! He's not wearing a hat.

A good man never goes out without a hat, even if it's hot.

MAN: Is that him?

- Yes, that's him. Come on. - Come on, move.

What the fuck is he doing?

Go on, go.

(MEN CONTINUE SHOUTING)

Things didn't work out the way they were supposed to.

- The way they were supposed to. - No.

What exactly didn't go as it was supposed to?

There was little discretion.

- From the night before. - (EMILIO CLEARS THROAT)

The gentlemen spent the night before in a hotel,

and precisely,

at the Hotel Dragoni.

(MAN LAUGHING)

(WOMAN MOANING)

(LAUGHING)

EMILIO: They paid with political party funding.

They made too much noise. Neighbors called the police.

Viola, they caught him in a room with a revolver.

But Dumini had him released by the Chief of Police.

- Dumini? In person? - EMILIO: In person, Benito.

And then there's the car problem.

They rented it from a public garage.

And the night before the operation,

they parked it in a government parking.

Dumini assured the police on guard

that it was necessary for an important government task.

(GRUNTS)

There was this car going back and forth.

It was a Lancia Lambda, kind of a limousine.

We worried because we thought

they were thieves casing the area.

Since the Duce is here, we're safer, but you never know.

- You're safer. - Shut up.

Politics isn't for you.

I wrote down the license plate, is it useful?

(INHALES DEEPLY)

Didn't they change it? Didn't they remove it?

Didn't they piss on it to get it covered by dust? Nothing?

We stopped this investigation, right?

De Bono!

The problem is we don't have...

What?

(CLEARS THROAT) We don't have capillarity.

We're a young regime.

We can't improvise. We needed more time.

Some of the state forces aren't under our control.

These individuals have an outdated concept of duty.

(GRUNTS, EXHALES)

What time was it, remember?

It was half past four.

Tuesday afternoon.

I was playing with my mates

by the river.

Next to us there was a car,

and several gentlemen came out of it

and surrounded the man.

- MAN: How many men? - Five.

(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)

The man screamed, kicked. They couldn't hold him.

Then, they took him by his head and feet

and tried to get him in the car.

(MATTEOTTI WHIMPERS, GRUNTS)

The car drove down next to us,

and you could see he hadn't surrendered.

MAN: You didn't see anything.

Otherwise, I'll come back and kill you.

Can I go home now? I'm hungry.

You've been good.

(GRUNTING)

Stop, stay still.

Fuck! Don't shout!

Shut up! Shut up!

What happened?

Bloody dogs, bastards. Assholes.

I'll have them all shot for incompetence.

All of them.

And you?

You think you're the smartest of them all,

the brain of the group,

but you're the dumbest of them all!

Are you trying to fuck me?

Benito, what do you mean?

Look at me.

Good.

We need to regain control.

This is about saving fascism.

I can't stand it anymore.

MATTEOTTI KIDNAPPED

IN A CAR

MAN 1: Where is he? Cowards!

FASCISM ON TRIAL:

WHERE IS MATTEOTTI?

MAN 2: Where is he?

- You must be ashamed! - There's no restraint!

MURDERED?

MAN 3: Where did you put him? Bastards!

MAN 4: Are you afraid of his words?

How could you do it?

Where's Matteotti?

MAN 5: Fascists!

MAN 6: Scoundrels!

I believe...

I believe that the Parliament

is anxious to hear of the fate of the Honorable Matteotti,

who suddenly disappeared

under uncertain circumstances in terms of time and place,

but which would legitimize the case...

of a crime.

- Murderer! - Where is he?

MAN 7: Ladies and gentlemen, please!

A crime... a crime...

a crime that if...

if committed,

could certainly provoke outrage and shock

from the government and Parliament.

The police, on my strict orders,

in their rapid investigation,

have already traced suspicious evidence

and they won't exclude any detail to shed light

on the situation so that the guilty will be arrested

and brought to justice.

I hope that...

the Honorable Matteotti

will be able to return to Parliament soon.

MAN 7: Ladies and gentlemen, please!

Quiet, respect!

Let's not get involved in this.

Let's go, comrades!

- What are you doing? - (BELL RINGING)

No.

No!

There will be justice.

The rule of law will increasingly be consolidated.

This is my duty, and this duty will be fulfilled.

Only an enemy who had been thinking

something evil against me for many nights,

could have carried out such a crime,

a crime that terrifies us

and makes us cry tears of indignation.

If anyone in this room has the right

to be grieved and exasperated...

That person is me.

Duce!

- Duce, please, for my son. - To the Duce.

Excellency? Excellency?

That woman was staring at me.

Do you understand? As if it was my fault.

But it's not my fault.

- (KNOCKING AT DOOR) - No!

(KNOCKING CONTINUES)

I said no! I'm speaking!

Excellency?

Navarra, don't you hear what I say?

Mrs. Matteotti is here.

- Let her in. - Certainly, Excellency.

Madam.

Madam...

I can assure you the government will fully perform its duty.

All I ask is that if my husband is alive,

he's allowed to come home.

If he is dead,

may his remains be returned for Christian burial.

I don't know anything about it.

And if I did, I'd return your husband to you,

dead or alive.

I swear it.

(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)