Original subtitles

(Bell tolling)

Get him!

Don't just stand there, get him!

- Get him! - Run, Giac, run!

Pietro!

That's the man!

- Get him! - Run!

Gentlemen. Gentlemen.

I'm sure we can sort this out amicably.

I'm sure we can sort this out amicably.

Look at it this way.

Look at it this way... if you could do what I could do

then you would do it, too.

But you can't.

But you can't.

I can, and I have, and I'll do it again.

So you should be happy for me

just a little tiny bit, don't you think?

And you, sir, just consider.

You love your wife; I love your wife.

Aren't we both on the same side?

If you think about it, I'm...

I'm, um...

What was it?

I'm hungry.

Maria?!

Rule of thumb,

keep your flour box and your spice box separate.

Don't go putting them together, 'cause the spice migrates.

You'll end up with bread that tastes of something foreign,

- and I'm not having that. - Excuse me.

I've had no food.

It's gone past twenty o'clock,

and no one has delivered my meal.

What's that, sir, you've had nothing, sir?

Oh, I can't apologize enough, sir.

We've got pigeon, and beef,

and I can top it off with this, sir,

lovely bit of crayfish sauce.

Have some bloody sauce!

It's "do this" and "do that."

Get your own bloody food. Do you want seconds?

Your master shall hear of this.

You'll have to shout; he's in Madrid.

And he's your master, don't forget,

so don't get clever... You're no better than me.

Now then.

Spice boxes, that's right.

Oh, and the same with the salt box.

Keep it separate.

So, does that man work here?

'Course he does. He's the librarian.

Oh, he might dress like a lord,

but he's only a servant, same as you and me.

- What's his name? - Giacomo Casanova.

Really?! Any relation?

- Who to? - The Casanova.

Whoever he is, how should I know?

There was a man with that name, years ago, in Venice.

Do you want this job or not?

Then stop the chat and do some work.

Scrub that table down.

"Have some bloody sauce."

I suppose you've pissed in the wine.

I'll have it if you don't want it.

Oh.

Another servant with attitude.

You're a servant yourself, sir.

Then why are you calling me "sir"?

Because that might be correct, for a man with your name.

And you are?

Edith, sir; started today.

Off you go...

Edith.

My father was burgomaster of St. Valencia.

When I was young, he'd read to us,

stories of lords and ladies,

and of one man in particular:

the adventures of Giacomo Casanova.

Is that you?

What's a burgomaster's daughter doing working in a kitchen?

He died last year, sir.

And there's not much provision for widows...

and he had his debts.

Gambling?

- Yes, sir. - Good man!

Now, that sounds like Casanova.

Is it true, sir, all those stories about the old days?

Here they are.

My life, the truth of it.

- They say you met the Pope. - Two Popes...

And royalty.

Louis the Fifteenth, King George the Second,

Catherine the Great.

Glorious times.

My father used to warn us about Venice.

He made it sound like the most

- outrageous place... - Do you want sex?

If my reputation lives on,

then that's what you've come for.

Fine, if you want initiation, let's get on with it.

Well, it's true then,

because that's all your reputation is, sir, filth!

Since when was it filth to love a woman?

No, sir, not love,

but sex, that's a different thing,

Oh, you'd know, would you?

I don't. And not until my wedding day.

That's typical of nobility...

Playing games with the servants.

Is that what I am?

- Nobility? - Of course you are, sir.

Giacomo Casanova, the Chevalier de Seingalt.

That's not what it says here.

Well, then tell me.

I've sworn myself to silence.

All right, then, let me guess.

If you weren't born rich, it was all poverty...

Living in the gutter, begging for scraps.

No, it was worse than that.

I was born the son of an actress.

Who's in tonight?

The senator's here again, ma'am.

That's three times this week.

What's the boy doing here?

I don't know, he just turned up.

Giacomo.

Go home.

You're supposed to be with your father.

What's wrong with him?

He never says a word.

He's an idiot; he was born an idiot.

Takes after his father, then.

It's no good staring.

I can't take you with me.

I told you, I found you a school

in Padua with Dr. Gozzi.

He can look after you.

I've simply got to go right now. Do you understand?

I've got no choice.

Since your father died, I've got to earn a living,

and the Russian Court has paid for me to perform.

I can't take you with me, it's a court,

a proper court, a royal court.

I can't walk in there with a child!

Are you ever going to stop staring?

Do you understand any of this?

That's my job.

I'm paid to go wherever I'm told,

and St. Petersburg is paying for me.

They've bought me.

It's not my fault.

Stop staring at me.

Ugh! And now he's bleeding again.

Look at what I'm wearing!

How can I kiss him good-bye when he's covered in...

Aren't you going to say anything?

It's not my fault.

He's bleeding again.

Santini, give him a cloth or something.

He's a freak, sir.

Indeed. Now give the "freak" a cloth, come on.

Casanova, conjugate.

Anything?

Anything?

Can the homunculus speak?

Is there nothing inside that head apart from blood?

Are you the idiot?

Come on, you can talk to me.

Look at you...

All nosebleeds. No wonder they pick on you.

That's better.

There.

Your feet's dirty and all.

Got you.

I bet you're dirty all over.

Do you want me to keep going?

All right then.

That's your knees.

How about your thigh?

What do you think?

Yeah?

How about I go

all the way up?

Yes!

Pipilabam, pipilabas, pipilabat.

Yes!

Never mind that, here's a poem of my own.

Yes!

- Ye... ! - Is it all going to be like this?

- Like what? - Pornography.

No.

Pornography's over there, second shelf on the left.

If you know my reputation,

then you must have expected this.

You don't have to go into detail.

I'd appreciate it if you kept it clean.

That leaves about three pages.

Anyway.

I'd come alive.

I was a scholar.

Then, 15, I became a priest.

16, I was thrown out of the seminary.

I left Padua in disgrace.

Then came Venice.

Finally!

In the year of our Lord 1746, I returned to the city a man...

Soon to become...

a legend.

21 years old.

Dressed in Florentine lace and Chinese silk.

Versed in Latin and Greek, French and Spanish

and philosophy and science and theology and music.

A head full of facts and breeches full of fire,

and a heart already in love,

in love with that city...

The Republic of Venice.

A city under quarantine, trapping us inside,

leaving us to boil and seethe and mate.

But my wallet's empty.

My silk and gold and lace all borrowed or stolen or fake.

No qualifications, no contacts, no breeding...

Only my wits, to survive in a city that devours the weak.

Hello.

Good-bye.

Hello, yes, hello, yes.

Maybe later.

Oh, yes.

Oh, laugh.

Yes, from China.

How's the leg?

Good.

I'm fine, yes, I'm fine.

Super.

Marvelous.

Just dandy, thanks for asking.

And I said to Cardinal Acquaviva,

"How can the Church maintain its authority

when the language itself is beyond reason?

For example, in the Latin, can anyone explain to me

why the word for vagina is masculine

and the word for penis feminine?" He had no answer.

I suppose you could say it's because

the slave always takes his name from the master.

Yes.

"And besides," I said, "Cardinal, how can you extol

the virtues of language when you've banned

the poet Ariosto from the Index?"

- I mean, what sort of... - Ah, well, no.

Actually, they haven't.

I'll think you'll find they have.

I think you'll find they haven't.

Honestly, sorry.

Um, the Pope has expressly said that's not the case.

I really don't think so.

How can the Pope accept a poem

which denies the final resurrection?

Yes, except it doesn't, if you actually read it.

Um, it only says "perhaps", which in context

is just a rhetorical ornament and therefore invalid.

- Who the hell are you? - Right, yes. Hello.

Giacomo Casanova. Nice to meet you. Hello.

Giacomo Casanova, of... ?

Of...

the Casanova family, obviously.

And that would be Mr. and Mrs. Casanova

and all the little Casanovas.

That's me, yes. Nice to meet you.

I've said that, haven't I? Still, still true.

It's very good to meet a man of learning, Giacomo.

And you, more than anyone,

will appreciate the delicacy of the precise Latin:

Manus, the hand.

Pugnus, the fist.

And percutio, to punch.

Nice indeed to meet you, peasant.

Now fetch me some wine.

Where was I?

As I said, the man was utterly dumbfounded.

- Enjoy the show? - Loved it.

Glad to be of service.

That's a well-cut jacket.

And Chinese silk.

You've got everything just right.

But it's a lie, isn't it?

All right, I give up. I'm just pretending.

But when you looked at me, that was real.

So you lie to the men, but not the women.

The men don't matter.

If you're going to pretend, in this city,

then you only have to remember one thing:

They're all pretending.

Highborn, lowborn, people in between...

Everyone's wishing they were someone else.

All you have to do is lie with conviction.

Stand tall.

No creases.

Chin up.

Act better and you'll become better.

There. Quite the gentleman.

- Quite the lady. - Quite bored of this. Good-bye.

But I don't even know your name.

Now, don't follow.

For God's sake, don't follow.

There's nothing weaker than following.

Now, stand your ground. Chin up.

Act!

That's it.

Oh, one more thing.

Chin up, stand tall...

and trust no one.

- That's my purse! - Yep!

- That's Henriette. - Oh, yes.

They say she was beautiful.

You'll never know.

Everyone in these pages is dead.

I'm the only one left.

So, I had an act to maintain.

And the first thing a gentleman needs

is an address.

That smell's the tannery... God help you in summer.

If there's one good thing, the rats can't climb this high.

But the water can... that roof hasn't got long.

You're not exactly selling it.

Middle of the city? They're fighting over this place.

- How much? - Ten zecchini a week.

I'll give you 25.

Run that past me again.

If anyone asks who lives here, you can say a gentleman.

And if they ask how much he's paying,

you can say 25 zecchini and let them marvel.

- Done? - For that price,

I'll throw in a room for your valet.

I take it you've got a manservant?

Good idea.

You're supposed to be running my household,

not rutting my wife!

Rocco!

Come back here!

Stop that man!

I want him flogged!

So...

you'll be needing a job, then.

It's not much of an address.

- It's Catrigatti Street. - It's the back of Catrigatti Street,

on the corner, five floors up.

How do I know I can trust you for a wage?

What sort of gentleman are you?

And what sort of gentleman's gentleman are you?

You can cast doubt on my residence but not my honor.

How dare you!

What exactly do you do?

You tell me, Rocco. What do I look like?

Fancy clothes, smart mouth...

I don't know, a lawyer?

Yeah, that's it. I'm a lawyer.

Someone said you need a lawyer.

My family owns a plot of land on the Alto Adige,

but the Secular Committee claims

that it comes under their jurisprudence.

I need an expert in property law.

What a coincidence... That's me.

Property laws pertaining to the Northern States, 1655.

1701...

1727...

You'll never read all this lot.

But that's the point... no one could.

No one ever has.

All those lawyers out there, they're just pretending.

I can do that.

The court finds for the defendant.

Thank you, my boy! Thank you!

A victory for the people!

Bloody hell.

Someone said you need a doctor.

It's this bloody foot.

I've a gathering of vile humors in the joints of my toe.

I need an expert physician.

What a coincidence... That's me.

"Apply to the joints a poultice of saltpeter,

the milk of a she-ass, and... "

- What does that say? - Raspberry.

Raspberry. We got any raspberry?

It's December.

Raspberry, raspberry, raspberry...

Red wine. Same thing.

You're more than a doctor, sir, you're a miracle worker!

Behold!

Someone said you need an astronomer.

- Astrologer. - Astrologer. What a coincidence...

It's all bollocks, that stuff.

Ah, but since you were born under the sign of the ram

with your tangent in the ascendant,

I knew you were going to say that.

- Very funny. - And that.

- You can't just... - And that.

- Don't you... - And.

- It's not... I'm gonna... - And. And.

- If you... - And.

You told me a lion would rise in the winter solstice

and capture my heart.

And here he is... My wild beast.

You're a genius, sir.

This is beginning to scare me.

A virtuoso.

What, this old thing?

I only just picked it up, how does it work?

I'd pay for lessons, but someone stole my money.

It's a terrible world.

And who are you stealing from tonight?

Don't know what you mean.

Tell me, though. If you're busy pretending like everyone else,

why not pretend to me?

Why tell me the truth?

I don't know. I just did.

It's an honor.

Well, then.

Just don't go thinking you're special.

You've taken my advice to heart, then.

I've heard so many stories about you,

and not always as a joke.

Signor Casanova.

Lying his way to the top.

It's not my fault if I was born clever.

Show me a book, a map,

a language, a libretto, I won't just learn it, I'll use it.

The man of parts.

Many parts.

Is that how you win over the ladies...

Cheap innuendo?

No, you just make all my best lines rubbish.

You will keep straying from my side.

Oh, it's that man again.

Are you following me? People will talk.

This is the Signor Casanova everyone's talking about.

You have the look of a manual worker about you, Casanova,

- what's your profession? - I'm... a spy.

- How do you mean, a spy? - A spy.

I spy. That's me, the spy.

Of course, being a spy,

I really shouldn't say I'm a spy, or it's bye-bye spy.

I suppose you can prove it?

What, you want me to spy on something? Um...

Look, there's a canal. I spied it.

Look, it's still there.

Ooh, and again.

I take it you're laughing at him?

Absolutely.

Excuse me, but I haven't actually

been introduced to the lady.

Henriette.

Henriette Marie-Anne d'Albertas.

My fiancée.

Now my father's looking for us. He's got this obsession

with the Siamese Ambassador.

Engaged.

Then, that man,

he was Grimani, is that right?

The Duke of Grimani?

He was in the stories. My father used to talk about him.

Didn't you fight Grimani?

- All because of Henriette? - Ah, there were plenty of other women.

I thought there might be.

Angela.

Let me tell you about Angela,

and how I learnt the secret.

Angela Tosello, daughter of a priest.

I courted her like a fool,

going to her house every day and dancing attendance.

She wouldn't even be alone in my company,

chaperoned at all times by her two sisters,

Nanette and Marta, a fearsome trinity.

I wasted my heart and my time.

No amount of learning or wit or passion

could get me past the divine Angela's defenses...

so I slept with both her sisters instead.

And a fine old time was had by all.

Hold on.

What do you mean, you slept with both of them?

I did.

But you want me to keep it clean, so, moving on.

But how?

Let me see that.

How did you get two sisters into bed?

I mean, I've got a sister, and we're close,

but the thought of me and her, together, it's just...

If you really want to know how I did it...

If I must.

The Holy Office has been investigating the water table.

Uh, it... it's fascinating stuff.

They say in 300 years, the canals will have dried up

and Venice will be connected to the mainland.

- Isn't that amazing? - For whom?

Uh...

For those who are really amazed I suppose.

Uh...

Have you been to the opera?

I've been translating the lyrics of Zoroastre,

and it's turned out to be quite a success.

I find all forms of theatre vulgar.

Yes, absolutely. Good point.

Even puppet shows?

Anyway, um, have you heard, the Elector of Saxony

has bought the Duke of Modena's entire collection.

- I don't suppose you're interested in art? - No.

Quite right, too.

Um...

I've met the Pope.

I take it you'll be joining us tomorrow?

Oh, what's the point?

I just sit there and turn into an idiot.

Puppets?

I said puppets.

Perhaps it's time you gave up.

But I can't, your sister's just...

Oh, my Lord, she's beautiful. She is.

It's like she's taken over my head,

and my blood and my guts.

I can't stop thinking about her.

I spent half of last night...

Well, never mind what I did for half of last night.

But it's just...

Huh...

Oh... I'm sorry.

You could find someone else.

But someone else wouldn't be her.

Sorry, I'm...

I'll come back tomorrow.

Don't listen to me. Sorry.

I'd better go.

The sisters Tosello.

Is there something wrong? Is it Angela?

Now, we've brought provisions.

A tongue, Parmesan cheese.

Some bread.

I take it you've got wine.

He can go.

Um, Rocco, thank you.

Very good, sir. If you need me, just call.

This is very kind, thank you, but what's it for?

We're bound to work up an appetite.

We liked what you said.

As you were leaving.

Not when you were talking to our sister.

That was the nonsense all men come out with.

They all sit down and boast

about money and position and titles.

Why should we care?

But after that... you were upset.

You were honest.

You felt something, and you said it,

out loud.

No man ever does that.

Well, that's good. Right, yes,

thank you.

Good advice, yes. So...

that's how I should talk to Angela?

Angela's not here.

But I can only think of her.

Oh...

not completely honest, then.

Oh, my Lord, forgive me. That's just an animal reaction, I swear.

No, that's honest.

But it's a... it's a matter of honor.

I've pledged myself to your sister.

We all sleep in the same bed.

You sure you don't need me, sir?

Out.

Sorry, where were we?

All three sisters

in a soft, huge bed.

And sometimes, Angela's so grateful,

she covers us in kisses.

Can you imagine that?

Yeah.

We've got hours to go!

Speak for yourself!

If all I have to do is say what I feel, then...

I feel fantastic.

It's not all about you.

No, I mean, I hope you feel the same.

It sounded like it.

What do you even know about me?

I know your father is the priest of San Samuele.

His parish runs along the Monache Canal,

and he published pandectes in the French.

That's my father.

What about me?

Ah...

You are the eldest of the three.

You're a patron of St. Francisco.

You...

embroider, um...

Those are just the facts, anyone could know that.

Now you sound like all the others.

Men talk, and we listen,

but no one listens to us.

I want to leave this city.

I want to go to London, Paris

and all those places I'll never go.

I want to draw,

paint.

My head's full of pictures, I can't get them out.

I wonder what God thinks of my sisters and me.

I wonder if we're damned.

I don't think so.

You don't have to be kind.

Just listen.

And I listened.

All night, and every night, with every woman.

And that was enough?

I know your father was a burgomaster.

I think your mother is still alive,

and at least one sister in the village of St. Valencia.

You've been in this castle just one day,

does anyone else know that much about you?

Ah, but those are just the facts.

I know you loved your father,

and forgive him.

I know you're clever,

because you didn't bring me any old bottle of wine.

I know taking this job is a step down for you,

but you don't care, if it puts food upon the table.

And I know you hope for better things.

We all do that.

I know.

It strikes me, sir,

if you understand women so well, it's only because

an addict must be an expert in his downfall.

How many were there, how many women?

I honestly don't know.

- Oh, come on. - Only a bastard keeps count.

They're not notches on the bedpost.

Then what's that book for?

It's because I did more than listen and talk, I remembered.

If they were just conquests, they'd be forgotten tomorrow.

But here they all are.

Teresa Imer,

almost my wife.

Laca Damacci,

celebrated courtisane.

Mimi, the landlord's daughter.

The widow Batagia.

***

on the morning of her wedding.

Senora Fazzi,

wife of a very understanding man.

Teresa Caccioli,

a nun.

Marina Morosina, another nun.

Marina and Teresa.

Who's... who's next?

Long time ago.

All those women,

it's a list of the dead, now.

Yet I live on.

It's a punishment from God.

I refuse to believe in an afterlife,

so he refuses to let me die.

Excuse me, sir, I think that's blasphemy.

Oh, sex with sisters and you're chuckling,

but don't blaspheme, no,

whatever you do, don't do that.

You could respect my faith, that's all I'm asking.

I'd rather challenge it to the bone.

Let's see what you make of this?

Save your simpering for something worth...

Where is it?

Next, there came Bellino.

Who was she?

A castrato.

A man?

Bellino's coming!

Sweet Bellino!

Giacomo, you must see Bellino.

Oh, here we go again, you big kitten.

Is this your latest fetish?

Ah, completely. I love him, Casanova.

I'm sizzling like a boy on a griddle.

This Bellino is a miracle.

He's been allowed into the city on special dispensation.

You are in for such a treat. Oh, that voice!

Sit me down, boys, sit me down.

Come here then, you great big bauble.

Come to mother.

Lovely.

Have you met my nephews?

It's a different nephew every week.

Mm. I found Carlos working on a barrow.

What do you think of that arse?

That is a very good arse.

Oh, here he comes... Bellino.

He's a castrato from Bologna.

And gorgeous. Oh, gorgeous!

♪ Pack up your worries ♪

♪ Lay down your fears ♪

♪ Venice will comfort you ♪

- Excuse me, that's a girl. - Don't you wish.

That's a girl.

If I know anything, I know girls, and that's a girl.

You're on the turn... There's hope for you yet.

Pretty practice?

- Rocco? - Boy.

- Girl! - Keep going with this, and I'm off.

Have you all gone blind?

There's no boy, there's just that girl.

There. Him. Her.

♪ Nothing to hide. ♪

A fine performance.

Thank you, sir.

I'm told you're from Bologna.

Just outside, sir.

I thought you reached those notes

in the upper fifth with perfect...

Oh, go on, you're a girl, aren't you?

Go on.

You can tell me.

I'll take that as a compliment on my voice, sir.

Oh, but you're a girl.

I was inspected by the Bishop.

Yeah, but the Bishop's been celibate for 53 years.

He wouldn't know the difference. Go on.

I won't tell anyone... Just admit it.

Perhaps you find me attractive, sir,

and this delusion is the only way you can cope with your tragic inclination.

Well, there you are... Only a girl would say that.

Thank you for your time, sir.

But I do.

Find you attractive.

Pervert.

That's a girl.

I dare you.

♪ Pack up your worries ♪

♪ Lay down your fears ♪

♪ Venice will comfort you ♪

♪ Prouder and bolder ♪

♪ Prettier each year ♪

♪ Venice is always new ♪

♪ There is a gentle... ♪

- Success! - They were clapping, they wouldn't stop.

Did you hear them?

And it's all thanks to you, Giacomo.

You paid for the theatre and invited half of Venice.

Oh, thank you.

You've got lips like a girl.

You've been so kind to me, sir.

You've paid for my rooms and my clothes.

I wish I could pay you back...

but it's a blasphemy.

Is it?

I won't keep persisting, but I swear...

If you'd let me...

Tell me to stop and I'll stop,

but I can't stop hoping.

Bellino...

the evidence is here.

I can see it.

I can feel it.

That's the breast of a girl.

That's the deformity of all castratos.

Something happens to the body.

We mimic the flesh.

What about...

down there?

Giacomo, even fully clothed, you can see.

I may not have everything down there,

but I still have most of my sex.

Well...

it's just a bulge.

- Could be a rolled-up stocking. I've done it. - Stop it.

- Just let me look. - No. It's not padding.

Well, how do I know?

You show me yours and I'll show you mine.

- No. - Just let me touch it.

No!

Oh.

Told you.

- You're a man. - I did tell you.

I can't help it.

If I could...

If I could...

Sorry. Sorry, I'm sorry.

What do you want?

Just came to say: You win.

The game's turned sour.

The boy's a boy. He always was a boy.

And now I've disgraced myself.

Are you all right?

Is it Grimani? What's he done?

Nothing.

He must have done something.

I don't need company, thank you.

What's he done? Has he hurt you?

- Don't be so simple. - Then what is it?

He's rich. He's given me everything I want.

Isn't that wonderful?

Look at us... the two great liars.

Yeah.

This is where it's got us.

Then the castrato is definitely a boy?

Yes.

What do you need me for? Permission?

Yes.

Exactly that, yes.

- What should I do? - One question:

- Do you love him? - That's ridiculous.

- Yes. - Then love him.

Coward.

I don't care.

I love you.

It's a sin.

Then let me sin.

With you, for the rest of my life.

We'll be outcasts.

Together.

Please.

Is this what you want?

I want you.

Now...

mine doesn't do that.

- You're a girl. - A woman.

Do you know what "Casanova" means in the original Latin?

No.

It means "a lucky bastard."

God!

I fall in love with a boy,

but the boy is a girl pretending to be a boy.

We are so modern.

Why a disguise?

I was penniless.

I've been penniless, I didn't change sex.

Well, there was one night, but I was very drunk.

My only option was servitude.

And then, this young castrato in the village died

just before he was due to go into the city.

I took his place... just to escape.

The last thing I expected was success,

- and now I'm trapped. - But you could have told me.

I thought you would have your fun,

and then moved on to your next conquest.

That's what they say about me, isn't it?

But it's not true.

I know that now.

But you should be liberated.

The whole world should know.

With that voice, you could sing just as you are,

- as a woman, you'd be a sensation. - I'd be a joke.

The woman who used to be a man.

Well, talk about publicity.

All you need is the contacts; I can get you those.

You deserve it.

My wife deserves it.

No, don't joke, that's not kind.

I mean it.

Marry me.

Really?

What do you think?

I think... yes.

Me, too.

What went wrong?

Henriette.

Of course.

Always Henriette.

Tell me.

It began

when I launched the true Bellino

into society as my bride-to-be.

I spent my every last coin on a summer ball.

I can't.

It's those women; they were born for this.

I'm still just a performer in costume.

We're better than them.

But we look like copies.

Well, I suppose...

you should be unique.

Maybe a little...

alteration...

here and there...

- But you paid for this. - Then I can improve it.

- You can't do that. - I just did.

Well, then.

I preferred you as a boy.

Oh, you're in demand all over Italy...

Rome, Pisa, Naples, they all want you,

the singer who changed sex. It's so very radical.

You're famous already.

Ooh! That substitute knob, do you mind if I have it?

Mine fell off years ago.

And the citizens of Bologna want to welcome you home.

I've scheduled an appearance for next week.

- Can we do that? - Whatever you want.

Beyond that, there's Paris.

You don't even need to sing.

I think we should hold back on the singing.

You just need to appear,

create the enigma of fame.

Oh! I must tell you...

They want me in Bologna next week,

and after that, the Holy City.

Wonderful, I can see my old friend, the Pope.

And then Naples, and Paris, and God-knows-where.

You'll have to follow me all over the place.

I don't mind.

You'll have to run here and there and fetch this and that,

while I'm the center of attention.

You would make the finest husband, Giacomo...

but you were never meant to be someone's wife.

Who is that woman?

A friend.

When we're in bed, just as we're finishing,

you get such a look in your eyes.

And when you look at her...

You've done so much for me.

When did anyone do anything for you?

I've done it all on my own.

We'll see.

We ran out of the ball, but stayed close,

so we could linger with a little stolen music

and finish the dance.

We should make plans for tomorrow.

'Cause your fiancé is not going to be too pleased,

we should lie low for a bit.

I've got this friend; he's

practically second cousin to the illegitimate daughter of the doge,

he can get us special dispensation to leave the city.

We can just slip away,

over the water, out of the lagoon, and gone.

And then what?

I've got friends in Trentino...

Nice little villa,

no servants.

We can hide, just you and me.

And then what?

Well, like I said, we'll wait a couple of months,

- and then we come back. - And then what?

Well, and then

we can start a proper life together.

And then what?

What do you mean, "And then what?" And then we do whatever we want.

- And then what? - I don't know!

Exactly.

You're making it up as you go along.

I've always done that, and I've always survived.

And so have you.

Grimani knows what he's doing every day for the rest of his life.

His family's been here for centuries.

Never changing.

But you've left him.

I'm not with him right now.

Doesn't mean I've left him.

Then what are you doing with me?

Just one dance.

I love you.

- Oh, for God's sake. - I do.

What's the point of saying that?

- To get me into bed? - Marry me.

- Stop it. - Henriette, will you marry me?

How much money have you got?

Enough.

Do you know where the next purse is coming from?

- Is it all about money? - Yes, it is.

Of course it is, everything is.

Then I'll get money. You've seen me.

I'm a born alchemist, I can magic gold out of thin air.

And lose it again.

Come on. Come with me.

- Where are we going? - I'm taking you home.

I was born here.

And I will never come back.

I was born with hardly a thing.

As bad as this?

Your money comes and goes on a whim,

Grimani's money is forever.

My children will grow up protected.

But you won't be happy.

Idiots are happy.

I'll be safe.

I could never live like that.

No...

I don't think you could.

Which only proves that you deserve better than me.

We should go, before the smell contaminates us.

You're with the wrong man.

I know.

You haven't said.

Do you love me?

Yes.

Yes.

Completely.

But I need him.

Then...

... thank you for tonight.

Thank you for the dance.

She went back to him?

I'd never do that.

Oh, says the kitchen girl,

lapping up stories of the rich folk.

Don't you want better?

- But she loved you. - But she was right.

Look at me,

an old librarian in a cold castle.

Henriette saw this waiting for me.

Did you see her again? You must have. Did you?

- I did. - But how?

It seems important to you

that this story has a happy ending.

- You can't blame me for that. - No, indeed.

Girls your age with no experience

like to imagine it all ends well.

Is that right though,

- no experience at all? - I've told you,

I'm as God intended, until my wedding night.

But you must have practiced.

Everyone practices. Who was it?

That boy you grew up with?

Did you fight with him one day, for just a little too long?

Or perhaps that friend of your father's.

The way he looked at you.

And you liked it.

- I can't think why it's important. - Is that what I am?

Practice?

If you want me to go, sir...

No.

Sit down.

I had to endure it.

Grimani and Henriette.

At every turn, there they were,

blessed and celebrated by society.

The date of their wedding was set for that winter.

And all I could do was watch.

Bless me, Father, for I have sinned... again,

um... I don't know where to start, um...

It's money, Father...

Love of money is a sin, isn't it?

A grave sin.

I mean, I don't love it as such,

but I need it, is that a sin?

In too great a measure, then, yes.

It's not for me. You see, there's this woman, um...

and I suppose you can include lustful thoughts while you're at it...

Uh, there's this woman, but she's engaged,

and all this went on behind her fiancé's back...

Um, not literally,

although, I have actually done that.

But anyway, first of all, I was with another woman

and I slept with her... sorry...

Uh, well, I slept with her lots of times, so, very sorry...

But before that, she was a man...

I was going to sleep with a man... sorry...

But it turned out she had a false penis down her trousers,

so I slept with her...

Without the false penis, obviously...

Although we did find a way of using it,

but never mind that.

I was just trying to be honest, like the sisters told me, um...

Oh, yeah, two sisters, I slept with them,

both, at the same time, uh... uh, lots of times,

I suppose I should mention that.

- Oh, dear God! - I know, I know.

But at least I didn't sleep with their mother...

although, I have actually done that.

Um, I suppose you should put that on the list:

two sisters and a mother

and... Oh, and those nuns, two nuns.

You might know them.

So all in all, it's been a bit of a time, really,

and I've ended up penniless.

So what do you think I should do, Father?

Father?

Father?

An ointment of mercury, applied directly to the chest.

Send to the leech farm.

Um, excuse me, but I don't think that's doing him any good.

- Bleed him from the groin. - It's brain fever.

Bottle his spit and feed it back.

- No, really, excuse me. - Open the skull.

I don't mean to be rude, but you're making it worse.

Just give him water and let him rest.

What would you do, sir, murder him?

- Now keep out of my way. - Suck out the spinal fluid.

I've read about this, I know what I'm talking about.

- I swear... - Have this man taken out.

He's not even qualified.

I'm trying to help.

- Take out his tongue. - Pliers.

Leave him alone!

You're killing this man,

and by God, I won't let that happen.

Now get out of this room.

Out!

If he dies, then you can arrest me.

But let me try.

There you are.

That's it.

Oh...

Oh.

That's it. A little pause.

One more time and off we go.

I can't read you that, it's filthy.

- Oh, let me see. - Shame on you.

God is watching.

I told you he was putting it on.

Oh, says the charlatan.

Look at you, back to work.

That's why I wanted to see you,

and I want no arguments, is that understood?

But you saved my life, Giacomo.

- Oh, my fault in the first place. - No, no, no.

I'd be cold in the earth if it wasn't for you.

I've had the procurator draw this up.

The Church has been my family,

all my life.

I've had no son to benefit from my estate.

Until I found a son in you.

In that deed, there's an allowance,

and property, and the right to inheritance.

I suppose it could be in safer hands but

none more deserving.

Sir...

your family's been part of the aristocracy for centuries.

If I accepted this, I'd

become nobility itself.

That's too much, sir, I can't take it... Oh, all right then.

I'm...

rich?

I'm rich!

I'm rich! I'm rich! I'm rich! I'm rich!

I'm rich.

This isn't just a quick purse of money,

gone by tomorrow.

It's proper, old, steeped-in-the-land money.

And everything I've got is for you.

If you could put that in writing.

Really though, Giac, you're a dangerous man.

You could lose money in a gold mine.

Don't squander this.

This is tied to the Bragadin family,

their land and their estates, it's forever.

So where does that leave us?

If you're worried about Grimani,

I'll tell him, I'm not scared.

I don't want a fight.

No, but I mean, I'd go to see him in your name.

This has to be done with honor.

Grimani said he loved me, he gave me this ring.

I should be the one to tell him.

Then you will?

Yeah.

- You'll tell him? - Yeah.

That we're engaged?

Yes.

We're engaged?

Am I going too fast?

Oh, bloody hell. That's...

Oh, my Lord, look, um, um, I got this, I bought it,

um, I didn't know if you'd want to,

well, I mean, I thought that you might but... oh, bollocks.

Um, sorry, hold on.

I found it.

Thank you.

I find myself a son, and next minute, a daughter.

I saw Grimani this morning, a broken man, the poor soul.

Well, his family owns half of Venice,

- he won't be sad for long. - But you'll drive him mad...

You're the talk of the town.

They've drawn caricatures, your faces are everywhere...

Giacomo and Henriette.

Congratulations, sir. Ma'am.

And may I say,

è it's about bloody time. È You cheeky dog.

You know, I don't think I need a manservant anymore, Rocco,

- you're dismissed. - And as Casanova's wife,

I'll need a Head of Household. Rocco, you're promoted.

Tell me though, dear lady,

what's it like bedding this handsome man?

What's he got hidden away? Oh! Draw me pictures.

I'm afraid I can't, I wouldn't know.

Not till we're married.

Giacomo, a virgin?

When did the world turn upside down?

Sorry, but it's true.

What's wrong, are you ill?

It's the only power a woman has, and I won't give mine away.

But I don't have to wait long,

we're getting married next week.

Bragadin's conducting the service.

Casanova and his bride.

Giacomo Casanova,

I arrest you in the name of the Great Council of Venice

for offenses against the government and church.

You are to be confined within the city boundaries until such time

as charges can be brought.

Such charges being:

the theft of property from the House of Grimani,

- What?! - and the defamation

- No! Giac! - of the Grimani name.

Let me go!

Furthermore, you stand accused of witchcraft...

- Giac! - Henriette! Let me go!

Henriette!

- Henriette! - Giac!

Henriette... !

Giac... !

... defiance of the Inquisition.

That you did, by your public confession,

act as a spy against this state,

with intent to betray city defenses.

That you did assault various persons within the families Tosello,

Cavamacchie, Imer and Batagia.

That you did fraudulently impersonate various professions

with the intent to steal money and cause physical harm.

That you did assault and threaten

the life of the court physician

and defame his name and reputation.

That you did impersonate a nobleman

with the intent of robbing the House of Bragadin

and defrauding the family of its inheritance.

And against these charges, my Lords,

the prosecution demands the maximum sentence

to be instituted forthwith.

Guilty!

What did they get you for?

A woman.

How long did you get?

15 years.

But don't worry about me... I won't be here long.

Oh, don't tell me!

I know.

You've got friends and contacts and powerful men.

They'll have you out by tomorrow.

I have got contacts. I'm the adopted son of a nobleman.

Adopted son?

Not true nobility.

I'll bet the judges could smell it.

They despise a man for rising above his station.

If you're waiting for a pardon, you'll wait a long time.

Then I'll find another way out.

Ah, but that's the genius of this place.

We're not locked in a dungeon.

No, we're up in the roof.

Ten floors up, at the top of the Ducal Palace.

If you get past that locked door, then there's another

and then another

and another...

Ten floors of them.

You'd need to be a magician.

Are you a magician?

- I can be. - Then magic's failed you.

I've been here 12 carnivals, and no man's escaped.

They tempt us with the carnival every year.

You can hear the festivities, the music carries up.

It's part of the punishment.

Dancing and singing...

It all goes on, hundreds of feet down,

all of the city

dancing and singing and forgetting.

Then there was Cristina.

She used to sleep naked with her uncle, a priest.

I mean, I had to put a stop to that, didn't I?

I said, "You can share my bed."

What did she look like?

Raven black hair.

Long, white neck.

Tiny waist.

- Magnificent chest. - Oh, yes.

I said, "Let's both lie here naked.

Let's see if we can both lie here and not move.

- In the dark." - Oh yes.

I looked at her,

reached out towards her.

- and not with my hand. - Oh my God.

Touched her.

- Pressed up against her. - Faster!

Faster!

- To be continued. - You can't stop there!

Any good?

Read it before...

in French and Latin, I've had time to read them all.

What about Henriette? Any word?

Well, I'm not sure. There's a...

story going round, but...

Hey, Bragadin's given me a job, running the stables.

- He's a nice bloke. - Don't let him down. What story?

It's more than just a story, sir, it's...

Sunday night, this Sunday coming...

And it's not her fault, mind.

There was nothing else she could do.

Henriette was with you, sir.

She was engaged to the city's most infamous criminal.

She was disgraced.

She's been an outcast for months now.

She didn't have any choice.

She's getting married, sir.

Sunday night.

To Grimani.

You don't have to call me "sir" anymore.

I don't even think he wants her, the bastard.

It's just his revenge against you.

- She'll be rich. - That's not it.

I swear to God, sir, she doesn't want him.

But Grimani, he's done everything.

He's summoned her sisters,

he's set them up with rooms and clothes.

It's like he's bought her outright.

To hell with her sisters, she doesn't have to marry.

- She could just run. - Oh, you could do that, sir.

A man could do it easily, yeah.

But for a woman, it's the convent or the whorehouse.

You sound like her.

You've seen her.

What did she say? Did she ask about me? What did she say?

She can't

visit you, sir. She's

- disgraced enough. - Tell me what she said.

She came to the lodgings, sir.

She was distraught, sir.

I was just clearing out your room.

And she arrived.

Didn't say a word, just...

She took off her engagement ring.

She took the diamond,

and she used it.

She scratched on the window.

And she left you a message.

What did it say?

_

Is that what she thinks, that I'll just forget?

No, sir. It's...

an instruction.

You can go.

It's not over, though.

You'll win that appeal, you will in the end.

- Get out there, steal her back. - I can't.

Once she's married, that's it.

Grimani now owns her entire family.

She would never sacrifice that.

She's gone.

I said, you can go.

Are you coming?!

What are you doing, magician?

- Leave me alone! - I can get you out.

This is my home.

Do what you like, then. Tell them I had better things to do.

What if there's no way down?

- I'll find it. - And then what?

You can't stay in the city.

You'll be a fugitive.

You'll be exiled from Venice for the rest of your life.

I'll come back.

You'll never see this place again.

And what then?

Lost abroad with no money, no title, no position.

And they'll hunt you down.

They'll never forget.

You'll never stop running.

You'll still be a prisoner wherever you go.

Is it worth it, magician?

Is it worth it?

Henriette.

- Did you see her again? - She found me.

And, I suppose, led me to an even greater love.

Who was that?

You've got to tell me the rest.

I'm not giving up now.

Henriette Grimani.

I remember my father reading out her name, one last time.

When Napoleon's troops stood at the gates of Venice

and the Council met and surrendered.

They say, as the city was dissolved

after a thousand years, the widows were lamenting.

And Henriette was there.

It was just a mention, but she was one of them.

It was always the ladies,

my father always picked out their names.

I think you'd have liked him.

Sir?

What?

That was last year.

The dissolution of Venice

was last year.

- Yes. - Last year.

That's right, sir, May the 12th.

Oh, my God.

You didn't know.

Henriette's alive, sir. She's still alive!

And she's a widow... Grimani's dead.

She's out there, sir. She's still out there.