Original subtitles

I had a dream, my son.

The French armies swarmed through Rome like a cloud of locusts.

[Yelling]

You have heard what happened at Lucca?

- The whole world have heard, Father.

Cardinal Sforza, you have a cousin married to my sister.

He would be wise to remain steadfast.

- You will let these French armies march to Rome.

- The arms of the house of Sforza will remain where they belong.

- I wake up nauseous. - You are with child.

Have you any friends you can confide in?

- There is a groom, Paolo.

- We must leave this castle.

- These are dangerous roads, fair ladies.

- We have a captive, my liege. A Borgia.

- You have not yet told us, Cardinal, why you are here.

- I am travelling with the French king

to institute the deposition of your father.

- Twenty-five thousand French troops are marching

towards Rome. We are facing

a battle for our survival.

- Holy Father, we should abandon Rome.

- We will not tolerate this heresy!

This is the chair of St. Peter's! We are the voice of the Living God!

- Central cannons, fire! [Explosion]

[Yelling]

- Your Highness, could you halt the cannon for a moment?

We need a stratagem. - I will not accept defeat.

- Leave that to me. It was my brother, Your Highness. He thought

you meant to sack Rome. I told him your goal is Naples.

- Your son's army is in retreat. The French plague is almost upon us.

- We will stay here. And we shall be here

when you return-- IF you return.

Must you all desert me? - I will not leave you, Father.

Rome is like an old whore,

waiting once more for her ravishment.

- Your brother did not fail, Cesare; your father did.

- I want you to leave. - I cannot. I have taken vows.

- Cowards! You're like lemmings running to your doom!

- Take your mother to safety in Ostia. - But Father--

- GO!

- Your very presence here attests that you were

given this office for a reason, Your Holiness.

- Well.

***

- ...formation! Corporal. - Oui, mon Capitaine!

- Ready, my general!

- When we enter Rome, Your Highness,

we should demand an immediate convocation of the sacred College of Cardinals.

- [Charles]: For what purpose?

- Only the College of Cardinals...

...can depose a pope.

- I think you may find Rome empty of cardinals, Your Highness,

except for His Eminence Cardinal Della Rovere.

- [Man]: Forward!

- Canon abord!

- Forward!

- Tight file!

- Faster! - Forward!

- Begin! - Gate sentry, get ready!

- Where are the cheering crowds?

The welcoming populace?

- I would hazard they have fled, my liege.

- Did you not promise us, Cardinal,

that the city of Rome would welcome us with open arms?

- They have heard of your military prowess, my liege.

- We smell politics.

We dislike politics.

- There will be no argument and no politics, sire. The battle has been won.

- And who won the battle?

- You did, sire.

- You truly are a clown, Cardinal.

- [Man]: Tight file!

- You are a true clairvoyance, Lucrezia Borgia.

- Why, thank you, Your Highness. - And if we could impose

on your diplomatic graces once more, we would request

an audience with your father, His Holiness the Pope of Rome.

There are matters of importance I would discuss with him.

- A private audience? - [Charles]: Yes, of course.

- I think I know, at this hour, where he may be found.

- [Man]: Company halt!

- Cardinal.

- [Man]: Men at arms, halt!

- Come, sire.

His Holiness breaks his prayers between prime and terce.

- [Borgia]: Miserere mei, Deus,

secundum magnam miseri...

- Your Holiness!

- Miserere mei... - Your Holiness!

- ...secundum magnam misericordiam tuam.

Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam

misericordiam... - Forgive me, Friar.

I am seeking an audience with the pope.

You have been interrupted at prayer.

- Our prayers are ended.

And perhaps they will be answered.

- Can this really be the Pope of Rome?

Pope Alexander--

- Sextus. At your service, my lord.

And you, my lord, are?

- King Charles of France.

It is not as we expected.

- Does the Pope of Rome disappoint Your Highness?

Had you hoped for gold

and silver vestments?

Display has its purpose.

But simplicity must rule our hearts.

We are all of us naked

before God. Even the Pope of Rome.

Even...

...the King of France.

[Door creaking] - [Lucrezia]: Who's there?

I have missed those hands.

- And I have missed that face.

- I have brought a king to Rome, Cesare,

from a far-off land.

- I have heard.

My little sister has achieved what the papal arms could not.

- He seeks guidance

from the head of Christendom.

- Of course.

- I am sure you too, Your Highness,

sometime long to be free of the burden of kingship.

- To walk as a man among men. - Ah.

- It would be sweet relief, Your Holiness.

- Just as we long to be free of the burden of the papacy.

The papal robes are such a weight upon our shoulders.

One longs to be relieved of the burden,

to be a simple priest again,

praying to the God of Abraham.

- We understand, Your Holiness.

- Then perhaps Your Highness knows one who would relieve us of this burden?

- The very thought appals me, Your Holiness.

- Really?

Why?

- We do not choose our calling, Your Holiness.

It is chosen for us.

When called to serve, as King of France,

and, I am sure, as Pope of Rome,

we can only have one response:

serviam.

- I will serve.

- However imperfect my service,

however human my failings,

when called to serve...

- Your Highness is troubled.

- I have exulted in the thrill of battle.

I have turned streets

into rivers of blood.

I have played the part of God,

and in my arrogance,

I assumed that I served His cause.

- Then perhaps

what is needed...

...is a renewal of one's vows.

- One's vows?

- A renewal of your vows of kingship

before the Pope of Rome.

The papal investiture of the Kingdom of France.

- France,

as you must know, Your Holiness,

has traditional claims upon the Kingdom of Naples.

- But of course!

Even better.

The papal investiture

of the kingdoms

of France and Naples.

And your solemn oath,

before God...

...to rule them in His holy name.

- You must tell me everything, sis.

- There are some things, brother, it would be best not to speak of.

- Your husband, Giovanni Sforza,

he proved ungallant?

- More than that. He betrayed our father, the pope.

- I know of his betrayal, sis, and he shall pay the price.

but if he misused you he shall pay a different kind of price.

- It has been a long journey, Cesare, and I...

And I have kept my spirits intact thus far, but... I...

[Breathing heavily]

- Lucrezia... you need a medic. - No, no, no, brother.

- But you are ill.

You are faint.

- It is a common illness, brother.

I am with child.

- My God.

Does... does anybody know?

- Only one: Giulia Farnese. And I would keep it that way.

- Why? - Because the child,

thank God...

...is not my husband's.

- The Pope of Rome has kindly

put the Castel Sant'Angelo at our disposal.

We can billet the troops on the populace

of The Eternal City. And you'll be please to know,

Cardinal Della Rovere,

the College of Cardinals will be convened.

- [Man]: Gate sentry, ready!

- Father.

- Holy Father.

- Um...

The French king--

- Proved to be a man of God

in search of guidance and spiritual solace,

like any man.

There may be kings more handsome,

but hardly more devout.

- And, uh, what of Naples?

- We discussed the investiture of the Kingdom of Naples. And I told him,

there was no need for a great army.

All he had to do was to ask.

The College of Cardinals will be convened not to discuss our deposition,

but to consider their shameful abandonment of the Vatican in its hour of need.

You have returned the books, Burchard.

- Of course, Your Holiness.

- Well, please, continue.

We have... convened the College of Cardinals.

We find their abandonment of the Vatican

in its hour of greatest peril truly shameful.

As must you, surely,

Burchard.

- It is indeed most shameful, Your Holiness.

- Your own absence has been noted.

But we believe that your concern was

with the most sacred volumes of our library.

- I did my best to protect them from harm, Your Holiness.

- Well.

Well, now you must study them carefully

and find a precedent for us.

We think that a period of penitence is in order

for the curia who so selfishly abandoned us.

- What kind of penitence did His Holiness have in mind?

- We think they should present themselves in sackcloth

and ashes at the next convention.

- Sackcloth and ashes?

- Yes.

Can you find

such a precedent for us?

- I will do my utmost, Your Holiness.

- [Cesare]: I am the convent's benefactor. You'll be safe.

- [Lucrezia]: Must I take the cloth?

- [Cesare]: No.

But you may rest here while you are still with child.

- Must I hide myself, then?

- Perhaps, until the child is born.

There is the annulment of your marriage to consider.

- Can my marriage be annulled?

- Only if it was never consummated.

- But I am with child, Cesare.

- Indeed. The child is not his.

- But my marriage was consummated.

In... the harshest possible manner.

- I beg you not to worry about it, sis.

I will find a solution, I swear.

And I have a dear friend here who promised to take the very best of care of you.

- Her name?

- Sister Martha.

She was once known as Ursula Bonadeo.

- I remember.

- Sister Martha.

- Cardinal. - My sister, Lucrezia Borgia.

- I remember. I was at her wedding.

- Sister.

You still look beautiful.

But you have lost your wonderful hair.

- A woman's beauty can be a great distraction.

As you yourself must already know.

You will find it peaceful here.

And maybe peace is what you need at this juncture.

- I must warn you, Sister,

I shall visit at every available opportunity.

- You must.

- I will.

Goodbye, sister.

- [Charles]: There are beauteous women in Naples, I have been told.

- [Borgia]: Oh! - [Charles]: Even for this ugly snout of mine.

[Laughter]

- [Borgia]: They will swear it is divine, Your Highness.

- [Charles]: They can lie in Naples?

- [Borgia]: Exceedingly well.

They hardly know what truth is. - Hah!

[Laughter]

A most excellent pontiff, your father,

is he not?

- I have... no other to compare him with.

- Well, he has suited our purpose.

We could be said to have an understanding.

- We could, indeed.

- But in case-- just in case--

we would make a request of Your Holiness.

- We will respectfully hear it.

- We would have you nominate a papal legate

to accompany our armies to the Kingdom of Naples.

To remain with us

for the duration of our visit.

- Very well.

We will nominate a legate of our choice--

- Oh, no! Not of your choice, Holy Father.

Of ours.

- Who would you choose?

- Your son.

Cardinal Cesare Borgia.

- You would have me accompany your army

as... a hostage?

- No. God forbid.

A hostage implies enmity.

- And what does legate imply?

- Friendship, surely.

And a guarantee that such friendship will continue.

- Hmm. - Hmm?

- What is the difference, Holy Father,

between hostage and legate? - As the king said,

one implies enmity, the other friendship.

- And you will insist on this charade?

- King Charles will not remain in Naples for long.

- How can you be certain?

- We are not certain, but we suspect.

You should take your manservant with you.

For entertainment. For protection.

And if you find the rumours of an outbreak of plague in Naples are true,

I'm sure you can find your way home.

Are we understood?

- Understood.

- Good.

Because now another charade demands our attention.

- You may sit, cardinals.

Now, before we begin the proceedings,

we would consider

the penitential intentions of each member

of this college.

We would start with the vice-chancellor,

Cardinal Ascanio Sforza.

You may kneel, Cardinal.

- My shame, I hope,

is obvious to all, Your Holiness.

- And of what are you ashamed?

- Of my abandonment of Rome--

of St. Peter's, of your...

...sacred presence.

- In our hour of need.

- Indeed.

- Mm. - And in recompense, I offer all the benefices

of the Sforza ecclesiastical estates to the Holy See of St. Peter's.

- That is kind, indeed.

And we shall most graciously accept.

Cardinal... Piccolomini.

Unburden your soul.

In our capacity as the Chosen of God,

the Bishop of Rome,

the Vicar of Jesus Christ,

successor to the prince

of the Apostles,

Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church,

we invest thee,

Charles of France,

with the crowns of France

and the crown of Naples.

And we confer our sacred blessing

on thy reign in both those kingdoms.

*** [Choral music]

- It is an august sight, is it not?

- St. Peter's in its full glory;

the Pope of Rome in cathedra;

the Sistine Chapel Choir singing;

it would bring tears to one's eyes, Cardinal Borgia.

- I want to compliment you, Cardinal, on your steadfastness,

your probity, your survival, indeed.

- It did prove hard at times.

- In fact, you proved such a worthy opponent

that I would gladly have you back in Rome.

- You? - I have my father's ear,

as you must understand.

And he needs someone with the steel that your soul has.

- He has you, does he not?

- I will not be cardinal forever.

Surely you must know that.

- [Della Rovere]: And the other cardinals?

- The Holy Father's problem is, he surrounds himself

with weakness. And with your strength, Cardinal... - I serve God,

and can only pray the papacy survives

its current occupant.

- I could have killed you-- twice.

- Perhaps, then, you should kill me now,

because my opposition to the Borgia papacy will

only die with me.

- Micheletto, how do you think my escort becomes me?

- Seems to be an escort worthy of your stature, Your Eminence.

- What is my stature, Micheletto?

- Papal legate to our new friend, the French king, is it not?

- And as papal legate, I should be free to ride where I choose, should I not?

- Indeed you should, Your Eminence.

- Well, then...

I shall ride!

- Halt! Halt! [Cesare laughs]

- [Man]: Company! - Micheletto.

It seems I am not papal legate after all.

- Then what are you, Your Eminence?

- It seems I am nobody, Micheletto.

- Nobody?

- Either that or a hostage.

- Is this why we ride without weapons?

- We ride without weapons because they were forbidden us.

- Then I am now servant to a hostage, Your Eminence.

There are many ways to kill a man.

- But for absolute silence, he prefers, um--

tell them, Micheletto.

- The garrote. - And what is the garrote, pray?

- Ah, it's... it's just a cheese cutter, my friend.

[Men laughing] - You can kill with a cheese cutter?

- Most efficiently, yes.

- Show me.

- You wish to see?

- Certainly.

How does it work? - Like this.

[Choking] - Ugh!

[Choking]

[Quiet conversation nearby]

[Laughing nearby]

- [Micheletto]: Where are we heading, Your Eminence? - [Cesare]: To Pesaro.

And Giovanni Sforza. Come on!

- We are as shocked as you are, Monsieur Ambassador,

by the cardinal's disappearance.

- But as to his whereabouts, Your Holiness?

- Oh, his whereabouts, well...

We have no idea.

Would you inform His Royal Highness

that we will dispatch whatever cardinal he wishes

to replace him--

Cardinal... Sforza, perhaps?

- I will inform His Royal Highness thus, Your Holiness.

- And please convey to him our wholehearted support

for his Neapolitan adventure.

- We do not regard the conquest of Naples as an aventure, Your Holiness.

- Oh, no, no.

But maybe Naples does.

And now,

if you will excuse us,

we have another audience to attend to.

[Gulls calling]

[Horse grunting] - [Man]: Come on.

Walk on. - I'll take your mount, my lord.

- [Man]: Go on. - [Man]: There you go.

Make sure you tighten that saddle.

- [Sforza]: How are my dogs?

[Dogs barking]

- You missed the hunt today.

There's always tomorrow. Always tomorrow.

Don't eat too much. Be ready for the stag.

[Grunting] [Dogs whining]

- Killing would be easier, Your Eminence.

- But some things should not be easy, Micheletto.

Hah!

Yah!

[Sforza groaning]

[Sforza groaning]

- [Sforza]: Where am I?

- Where all roads lead to: Rome.

- [Sforza]: Ah! [Groaning in pain]

- In there.

- I must protest against this outrage!

Beaten, bound,

taken here against my will.

- Could this be true?

- Um, he did prove somewhat unwilling, Your Holiness.

- Well, you're here now, and you're safe.

That's the main thing, is it not?

- And, why, may I ask, am I here?

- Why, to discuss the annulment of your marriage, of course.

- Annulment of my marriage?

- You must admit, it did prove a disappointment.

The promised help of the Sforza family

to the papal states simply never arrived.

And the marriage bed,

we are told, was far from happy.

- You'll never get away with this.

- On the contrary, canon law is admirably clear

on these matters.

Dear Burchard will elaborate.

- It is written as if in stone.

There can be only one ground for the annulment of a marriage.

- And that is? - Non-consummation.

- Non-consummation?

You'll never be able to prove it.

- Let me finish.

If the marriage can be proved never to have been consummated,

why, then, Your Holiness,

it never existed as a marriage.

[People whispering]

Lady Lucrezia,

you have intimated some grave disappointment

on your wedding night.

- It was disturbing, Your Honour,

in the extreme. - Would you be so kind

as to elaborate? - I blush with shame to speak of such matters

before this august company,

but, sadly...

...tragically, my husband revealed himself to be...

- You may speak frankly, Lady Lucrezia.

These are grave matters.

- My husband... turned out...

- Please proceed.

- Turned out...

...to be impotent.

- Ah.

[Cardinals chuckling]

- Monstrous. This is monstrous! I can prove it! On the wedding night--

- Yes? - You said, on the wedding night...

- I say she lies. - Indeed.

But you just mentioned... proof.

- She lies.

- [Burchard]: Ah.

There are precedents, Your Holiness,

for a demonstration of proof of...

...potency. - Oh.

- The Lord Sforza could demonstrate the truth

of his claims to full potency with the Lady Lucrezia before a gathering of canon lawyers.

- No, no, no. That would surely be distasteful

to the lady herself--

indeed, as would the lord. Hmm?

- The very thought is an outrage.

- Well, then, there remains one more possibility.

A public demonstration of the Lord Sforza's prowess,

with 1 or 2 willing maidens

would also constitute proof of potency.

- Public? - Indeed.

In a place of the college's choosing before a gathering

of canon lawyers and a selection of the Roman public.

- You mean courtesans?

- We will spare the Lord Sforza such public humiliation.

A demonstration here,

before our brother cardinals

would suffice.

[Cardinals chuckling]

[Cardinals chuckling]

- Would His Holiness see the Lord Sforza with one or both of us?

- Burchard?

- One demonstration will suffice.

- Me first, then.

[Cardinals chuckling]

Do these thighs not please you?

[Cardinals chuckling] - Enough!

Give me a divorce.

- But on what grounds?

- Impotence. [Cardinals laughing]

- We must hear it from the Lord Sforza's own lips.

For the record,

on the wedding night...

- On the wedding night I did not consummate my marriage.

- Did not, or could not?

- Did not.

And could not.

- You were on that night and remain...

- Impotent.

[Cardinals laughing]

- We declare

the marriage between the Lady Lucrezia Borgia

and the Lord Giovanni Sforza...

...to be invalid,

as if it never existed.

[Crowd laughing]

- [Man]: Farewell, my lady!

[Crowd laughing]

- [Man]: Cockadoodle-doooooo!

[Gulls calling]

[Bird chirping]

- Is there a room in this kingdom

that doesn't stink of death?

What is this pestilence? - I know not, my liege.

- [Yelling in pain]: Noooooo!

[Breathing quickly]

[Grunting with effort]

I will die on this bed. - No, you will not!

- Do not let my child die!

- Nobody will die! - You must push, my lady.

[Lucrezia yelling in pain]

[Door opening]

- Cesare!

- Mother.

- How is she?

- Alive still, at least.

- I came as quickly as I could.

[Lucrezia yelling]

- Stay back.

- Plague.

Did the Borgia Pope know of this?

[Lucrezia yelling]

- More effort, my lady. Water.

Water!

- God is with you.

[Agonized yelling]

[Door opening]

- Mother!

- [Juan]: Hello, Mother. - How are you, Cesare?

- Has she had it yet? - No.

- A boy, I hope.

- I tried, but I could not keep him away.

He insisted. - Indeed.

- Ah.

- He loves each new arrival.

But try to tell him of the birthing pains.

- No, no, no, no, no. Not now, Vanozza.

- With Juan I was in agony for days.

Do you remember? - Mmm. I remember...

...the joy of holding him in my arms.

A brother for little Cesare at last.

We did love our children, did we not, my dear?

- To a fault.

[Baby crying]

- My God.

[Baby crying]

- [Vanozza]: Lucrezia!

My darling.

[Baby crying]

- May I... hold?

[Baby crying]

A boy.

- Yes.

Your Holiness.

We should give thanks.

- [Cesare]: Whom should we thank?

- God.

We should thank God

for all the blessings He has visited upon this,

our family.

- [Vanozza]: He's beautiful.

- Mmm.

[Borgia chuckles quietly]

***

Closed Captioning by SETTE inc.