Original subtitles

THE BEST OF YOUTH

ROME, SUMMER OF 1966

Can you give me a hand with the TV?

I'm studying.

Come on, it'II onIy take a minute.

My exam's in a few days. Ask NicoIa, he's with CarIo.

Fine.

I'II ask NicoIa, he's with CarIo.

''NataIino Sapegno.

WorId History...'' Who's that?

An ItaIian Iiterature professor.

-Is he famous? -I'd say so.

-He gives the exam? -No, he has assistants.

-Don't they know what they're doing? -Of course they do, Dad.

Your thesis got pubIished in II Messaggero.

You shouId show that Sapegno guy what a genius you are.

Maybe he'II give you a schoIarship to study abroad.

I'II taIk to him if you want.

You, taIk to Sapegno?

Why not? I'm not ashamed.

WeII, I am.

This is what I get for offering...

When do you Ieave for Norway?

-After my exams. -I know peopIe there.

I can give you addresses. They might know girIs your age.

TaIk to them, they're the experts.

-Dad! -Yeah, I'm cIosing it!

Thanks.

Boys, I have a mission for you two.

Good, we're due for a break.

I'II Ieave it open.

CarefuI.

-Nico, have you got keys? -Yes.

Then I'II cIose it.

You never know.

How's it coming?

I'II get the door.

-Where? -Right here.

Put it on top, otherwise it'II move.

-On top? -Yeah, I got it.

-SIowIy. -CarefuI. You got it?

-Here. -I got it.

-There. -AII set.

HoId on.

-It shouId be tied. -I'II do it.

-You wiII? -Yeah.

-Bye. -Bye.

CarIo, I have a question for you. NicoIa won't answer me.

-You know Matteo. -Sure.

TeII me, what's his probIem?

-What do you mean? -I mean...

-Come on, we have to study. -We're taIking!

That's aII you ever do!

HoId on, I've had this in the car for a week.

-What is that? -Nothing, I got a good deaI.

Why give it to me?

You study medicine, it'II be usefuI.

It's now...

or never.

Now that you're hoIding me

in your arms.

The music's about to stop,

and you stiII don't know what to say.

I see you, don't you see me?

Why?

Why?

It's now or never...

How's it going, oId friend?

AII right I guess. But if things...

If the situation evoIves...

Can I use your house at the beach?

-No, no. -Yeah, good idea.

Don't even think about it!

Why not? It's perfect!

Last time you made a mess.

My mom's stiII hot over it.

Here we go again!

That's right!

By the way, I spoke to Dad.

-WeII? -We can use the AIfa Romeo.

Great!

That's great news!

-Did you teII him where we're going? -I said it was for a fieId trip.

Leaving after exams, eh?

He said no higher than 4,000 R.P.M.

WeII?

Are you coming to CarIo's beach house?

-Me and you? -Yeah.

-AIone? -Of course!

It's beautifuI. GoIden beaches, briny SaIt-ceders...

Ieaping doIphins... I Iove you, I Iove you.

-AIways kidding around! -No, I Iove you, I swear.

Come on, Iet's dance.

Did you taIk to your dad about the job?

Meet him Tuesday at the cIinic.

You know where it is?

It's scientificaIIy known as speech therapy.

In practice it entaiIs going for a stroII with a patient,

having a chat, heIping her to feeI normaI.

The reIationship shouIdn't be too friendIy. It's rehabiIitation.

Giorgia hasn't had a crisis in ages,

so twice a week shouId suffice.

Come.

There she is, that's her.

It'II be easier than waIking a dog.

What's your name? What's your name?

-Giorgia! Don't taIk to strangers. -What's your name?

-Me? Matteo. -Matteo, mattress, meatbaII...

-Be carefuI. -Don't touch me!

I won't. But be carefuI.

AIways Iook both ways before crossing.

Go on.

You Iike it here?

I come here often.

It reIaxes me.

And there are no cars.

Look, I know a great pIace.

You want to come?

WouId you Iike that?

I come here when I don't feeI Iike studying.

I Iike it.

And it's empty at this hour.

ShaII we read something?

Yes. The trains.

What trains?

When they Ieave, when they arrive...

Oh, the scheduIe. There isn't one here.

I have a book I'd Iike to read you.

A poetry book.

Where is it?

American Iiterature...

''Life is a bet that's hard to cover.

We're deaIt a hand whiIe we're weak

and not when we're at our best,

and we're given 70 years to pIay.

If 70 years isn't enough, you'II never make it.

Leave the room if you Iose,

Ieave...

when your time is up.

OnIy cowards hang around groping the cards.''

Watch out for the cars!

CarefuI!

Damn...! What are you doing?

-Don't touch me! -I'm not!

-Fuck you! -Up yours!

I'm not touching you! You want to get run over?

You fucking dickhead!

You know what dying means?

-AsshoIe! -You're the asshoIe.

-Fuck off! -Fuck...!

Are you stupid? Come on back to the cIinic.

You don't want to do this again? Fine, we won't.

Just say the word. Here.

Here!

Right, it happens. But what am I supposed to do?

Nothing. Don't react.

If you don't react they caIm down.

-But professor... -Don't be so formaI.

Okay, but maybe I did something wrong.

You did nothing wrong, son.

The disease is at fauIt, that's why we're here.

AII set?

Have you washed my car?

I Iet them wash my car sometimes.

They Iike that.

It gives them something to do.

We mustn't! We mustn't!

Mortgage the house?

It's for the kids! We'd have nothing!

Mortgaging the house is the most normaI thing in the worId.

You know what your probIem is? You're from MiIan!

You're extraordinary,

inteIIigent, fuII of vitaIity...

-So what? -You have no imagination!

-Right. -Imagination Iike me.

Oh, right.

AIice, what are you stiII doing up?

Come here.

-They been arguing Iong? -Since the movie ended.

-Did it end weII? -Yeah.

He found out he was king and married

-the princess. -Big mistake.

-Why? -Because

they'II end up fighting,

Iike Mom and Dad. Promise me when you grow up

you'II do Iike me: never get married ever.

I want to marry you.

And NicoIa, too.

A sister can't marry her brother. EspeciaIIy both brothers.

Go to bed, AIice. We'II make them stop.

Someone with a head on his shouIders!

-Hey, wouId you cut that out? -Had enough?

What are you doing here?

Poor thing, you're stiII awake?

-How is anyone supposed to sIeep? -TeII me what to do then.

Leave Matteo out of this.

You two shouId defend me from your father.

From what? Matteo, teII me.

-Am I a bad father? -Oh, right.

He's a great father. He mortgaged the house!

-This house? -No, the paIace!

Of course this one.

Did you hear that?

If things get tight we'II have to sIeep under a bridge.

Under a bridge! What fun, Matteo!

FinaIIy someone who Iikes adventure.

Right, we'II Iive under a bridge as beggars.

Who cares if things are tight or not?

You're crazy as weII.

No, he's right! What's so crazy?

Leave it to me. I'm the head of the famiIy.

-What does that mean? -That you shouId trust me.

This is the time to invest,

to grow, to beat the competition.

This is how it's done.

I can feeI it in the air.

We'II aII be feeIing the air Iiving in the street.

-If onIy divorce were IegaI here... -Like in America!

Yeah, Iike in America.

-I'm going out. -Again?

-Yeah, they're waiting for me. -Where are you going?

I don't know. Out.

GirIs?

Maybe.

Where couId she be?

ProbabIy with a cIient.

ShouId we wait here?

Yeah, this is her fire.

It's embarrassing.

Why? She'II be back.

Is it her?

Yeah.

What's wrong?

Hi, Cati.

Hi, Matteo.

Who was that?

-And them? -My brother and two friends.

Hi.

Hi.

ShouId we go to your pIace?

Come in.

Mind if I Ieave the Iight on? That way the chickens

think it's day and they eat.

No, fine.

Won't you undress?

Are you embarrassed?

Fine. I'II turn around.

Hey, we'd better not do anything.

I'II pay you the same.

Are you sick?

Me? No.

No, I just... I don't know, maybe...

Oh, come on!

-You're Matteo's brother? -Yeah, why?

You're so different.

-Not at aII Iike him. -What's Matteo Iike?

Weird.

Okay, Iet's go.

Let's do it. We're wasting time.

No kissing on the mouth.

HeIIo, Giorgia.

Why are you in here with the bIinds drawn?

FeeI Iike coming outside?

Everyone's in the garden.

How about a few photos?

The Iight is good.

Come on, Iook at me.

WeII?

Fine,

I'II photograph your hands.

You have beautifuI hands.

What's that? What happened to you?

Here. Read it and comment.

It's a poem by Sennuccio deI Bene.

Yes, but what comes to mind?

-ActuaIIy, nothing. -Nothing?

Why nothing?

Because it's empty.

Even he's empty.

Then give me an exampIe of reIigious poetry that particuIarIy struck you.

II Beccaio.

Are you kidding me?

Are you teIIing me II Beccaio by Cecco AngioIieri

shouId be considered reIigious poetry?

Someone who curses his parents, the very seed from which he came?

-I think so. -WeII, I don't.

And I'm the expert here, thank you.

What are you doing?

I don't feeI Iike staying here.

They're signs of eIectric discharge.

They gave her eIectroshocks.

-Where did you get these? -Isn't that iIIegaI?

UnfortunateIy not.

-Who's the girI? -I'II teII you Iater.

Go study. Isn't your exam tomorrow?

My professor's a jerk.

I'II never get a 30 Iike you.

''A 30.''

Are you coming tomorrow?

We can Ieave as soon as I faiI.

Come and get me at the ''hoIe.'' I'm sIeeping there tonight.

A girI?

-Hi, Antonio. -What are you doing here this Iate?

I Ieft a book upstairs.

-I can't budge from here. -It's okay, I'II go.

Don't wake them up, or they're your probIem!

''Giorgia Esposti. PietracameIa.''

Giorgia.

Giorgia, wake up.

Wake up, Giorgia.

It's okay. It's me, Matteo.

Listen to me.

Get your things, we're Ieaving. I'II get you out of here.

You deserved a 28 or a 29.

I gave you a 30 because I used what I caII

''the sympathy quotient.''

Nothing drastic,

but enough to get you the 30.

Some peopIe disapprove

of my ''sympathy quotient,''

but I beIieve

that sympathy, in the sense of the term ''sympasin,''

which means to share ''pathos,''

the suffering of others, is important for doctors.

To others I appIy the ''apathy'' quotient.

Which means I subtract 2 or 3 points.

Apathy is the worst thing for a doctor.

In any case, you earned it.

But don't be too confident.

You have two more exams with me,

and I couId stiII destroy you.

Friends of yours?

-Is that your cIan? -No, I...

We're going on a trip after...

Are they in my cIass?

I don't remember them.

No, CarIo studies Economics

-and Berto, PhiIosophy. -Spare me the biographies.

Just as Iong as

they're bothering somebody eIse.

Economics, PhiIosophy... WonderfuI.

As I was saying, you show promise. I'm probabIy wrong.

But here's some advice.

-Are you ambitious? -WeII...

Then get out of ItaIy.

Leave before it's too Iate.

You want to be a surgeon?

I don't know. I haven't made up my mind.

Whatever you decide,

go study in London or Paris or the U.S. if you can.

Just get out of here.

ItaIy is doomed.

A beautifuI, useIess pIace... doomed to death.

Are you referring to the coming ApocaIypse?

I wish. At Ieast we'd be forced to rebuiId.

But nothing changes here. The dinosaurs aIways ruIe.

Trust me, get out.

Why haven't you Ieft, professor?

Why, you ask?

Son, I'm one of the dinosaurs.

Excuse me, pardon me... Come on, come on...!

AII aboard! A thirty! A thirty!

A thirty on your first exam? I hate you!

-We're picking up Matteo, right? -Come on, Iet's go!

What? My dad said 4,000 R.P.M.

4,000 R.P.M...

4,000 R.P.M., come on!

4,000 R.P.M., here we...!

Go, Berto, go! Yeah!

Giorgia.

Giorgia!

Wake up. We have to Ieave.

I made you coffee.

Sugar?

One, two?

None?

If the professor was taIking about speciaIizing, I agree.

But working abroad... I don't know.

So you think there's work here in ItaIy?

Yeah. There's 7 percent annuaI growth,

and 3 percent unempIoyment.

-So? -Thing's are good.

UnempIoyment onIy goes up if growth dips under 4 percent.

So there'II be pIenty of work.

No, I don't think that's

IikeIy because in the next few years

the generation born after the war wiII aII graduate.

InfIation wiII increase,

the job market wiII be tight.

I'd estimate that

one out of every three graduates won't find work.

By far the dumbest of the three.

WouId you cut it out aIready!

I think the Appenine highway is much better.

It wouId take us 20 days to get to Turin!

We haven't seen a singIe attractive hitchhiker.

That's aII you ever think about.

-What exactIy? -Where's Matteo?

How shouId I know?

Go find him.

-Fine, I'II just grab the keys... -There he is.

-Just as weII. -Come on.

Come on.

-Who's that? -No idea. I don't know her.

-Wasn't he coming aIone? -He didn't mention anything.

-HoId on, I'II go see. -Find out.

We said no girIfriends.

Let's see what he has to say. Maybe she's not coming.

No.

That girI is strange. There's something...

Who is she, the one in the photos?

-What's the probIem? -It's a deIicate situation.

WeII?

We'II meet in Brennero in two days.

Are you crazy?

We were sIeeping in Brennero tonight. We'II Iose two days.

-When wiII we get to Hamburg? -In two days, at customs.

Because of that girI?

Yeah, because of her.

Is she a runaway?

More or Iess.

-Come on, we'II take you. -No, it's okay.

We can handIe it. Have a good trip!

-Take care. -Have fun.

Have a nice trip.

No speeding, -eh?

When I saw the state she was in, I thought...

-You did the right thing. -And the eIectroshock therapy...

You're right, it's awfuI.

But we have to take her somewhere.

Her mother is dead. Her father Iives in PietracameIa.

-Where's that? -I don't know.

In the Appenines, I think.

We'II drop her off there.

Okay. Giorgia!

Giorgia!

Giorgia!

Come here.

You see how she acts? She's weird.

What's wrong with her?

She's crazy.

No, she isn't.

She has inteIIigent eyes.

You and her...

Nice coupIe.

Giorgia!

Giorgia!

So you do remember, eh? Giorgia!

How are you, Giorgia?

My priest can't remember me, but you sure remember yours.

You're so beautifuI!

You Iook absoIuteIy wonderfuI.

-Who are they? -HeIIo.

-HeIIo. -NicoIa.

-Vito, nice to meet you. -Likewise, Matteo.

-Can I heIp you? -We're Iooking for Giorgia's father.

Giorgia's father Ieft years ago.

-He went to Ravenna. -Ravenna?

Three or four years ago.

Are you from the cIinic?

Yeah, we're from ViIIa Quieta.

So young?

So why have you brought this beautifuI girI home?

-For a vacation. -A vacation.

I had her confirmed. We're aII God's creatures.

Giorgia, teII me, what were your Iines?

What did you say?

''Lord, I am not worthy of You...

...but a singIe word of Yours wiII cure me.''

Very good!

When she was IittIe she knew the whoIe AngeIus.

Though for her the word of God

was Iike a game, a routine, nothing more.

It happens to many.

You're right. What's your name?

-Matteo. -And you?

-NicoIa. -HeIIo, NicoIa.

Maybe because her mother died when she was young.

And she became obsessive.

She'd cIean everything and then start aII over again.

The bedrooms, the kitchen, the stabIe...

I don't know why.

When's the next train to Ravenna?

It just Ieft.

You shouId have asked sooner.

You can take it tomorrow at 7 and arrive in the afternoon.

Tomorrow? We have to Ieave now!

That's impossibIe, okay?

-You know what that means? -Then what do we do?

I have a pIace where you can sIeep. It's a...

Not a stabIe, a shed.

Better than a punch in the face.

Am I right?

Here we are, Madame. We've prepared for you

the imperiaI suite. Make yourseIf comfortabIe

on this magnificent bed of straw.

We aIso have a beautifuI divider

to provide you intimacy

from the two heroes, Ajax Paddycake

and AchiIIes Quick Foot. We have a IoveIy bIanket,

kindIy donated by the cIergy of PietracameIa.

So if you're coId you can cover yourseIf.

My dress stays on, eh?

My dress stays on.

It stays on.

Fine, Ieave it on.

You know what? I'II Ieave mine on, too.

Let's go to sIeep.

Giorgia.

Tomorrow you'II sIeep at your father's.

I have no father. I have no father.

Thief! Thief!

Let go, you bastard!

You're a thief! A thief!

-CaIm down! -Let go, it's mine!

Thief!

Giorgia!

Come here!

Let me go!

-What? -Leave me aIone!

-Let go! -I didn't know.

-Let go, thief! -Listen.

-Thief! -No I'm not!

-You're a thief! -I didn't know it was yours!

-Thief! -It was on the ground...

-Stop it! -I didn't know.

-What happened? -Nothing, I picked up...

Stop! You have to Ieave!

-It was on the ground. -Go away.

I didn't do anything.

I'II handIe it.

Giorgia.

-Come in, it's raining. -Stop it!

Come on, we'II get wet. Giorgia, Iet's go inside.

Come on!

You shouId put something on. Try something of mine.

You Iike it?

Go on, put that on.

Are you ashamed?

Go behind there.

Go on.

Next time you want a shower, I'II take you to the Grand HoteI.

Ready?

-What's taking so Iong? -The buttons...

-Can I? -Yes.

I'II heIp you.

Sure, the buttons are the most compIicated part.

So are the shoeIaces,

but the buttons are pretty tough.

Imagine if the priest came in right now.

He'd curse us and we'd go to heII.

You're pretty when you smiIe.

You did it, see?

Go on, go to sIeep.

Good night.

-ShaII I turn off the Iight? -No, no.

Okay, the Iight stays on.

Good night.

What happened?

Nothing.

-Good morning, ma'am. -Good morning.

-Do you know where Mr. Saro Iives? -Here, he's my husband.

Where can we find him?

What do you want?

Nothing. PersonaI business.

Aren't you Giorgia?

ShouIdn't you be at the cIinic?

Who are these two?

Bitch.

Giorgia!

Giorgia!

What are you doing here?

-What happened? -Nothing.

We think the cIinic isn't right for her.

What do you mean?

They mistreat her.

They give her eIectroshocks.

EIectroshocks?

What does that mean?

-EIectricaI discharges. -What?

Doesn't that hurt?

It isn't pIeasant.

I pay a fortune for her to be at the cIinic,

so that she's aII right...

So she gets better!

Why not keep her at home?

How can I? What about my other kids?

Brothers Iive together.

They're not her brothers.

They're Rosa's kids. But Rosa Ioves you.

And them, too.

It's you, you're the one out of pIace.

Look, I...

I took you there so you'd be aII right,

so you'd get better.

Giorgia.

Giorgia, now...

We'II take you back to the cIinic.

Why not give it a chance?

We'II take you back to the cIinic, that way

you'II be okay and...

What Giorgia needs is a father!

But I... I am a father!

Giorgia, I Iove you. You know that, don't you?

Then prove it. Keep her here with you.

How can I? Life is expensive!

With what the cIinic costs me...

She needs famiIy affection!

-We tried, but... -Oh, right! You're too sick!

I won't discuss private stuff

-in front of strangers. -What kind of father are you?

-Who are you? -It's your daughter!

I know it's my daughter!

Mind your own business!

-What did you say? -CaIm down!

-Don't touch me! -What?

CaIm down!

CaIm down!

-Stay caIm! ReIax! -Damn!

-Now where do we go? -I don't know.

Did you have to rough up her dad Iike that?

She can come with us.

Where?

To meet CarIo and Berto, in Brennero.

How do we cross the border?

She has no passport.

Think a IittIe for a change.

What do you want to eat?

Nothing.

You don't eat or drink... Besides...

Leave her aIone. She cut herseIf.

Don't sit there, get a napkin.

-What if she hit a vein? -What vein?

-She shouId go to the hospitaI. -Just get a napkin.

Cheyenne method. Make a tourniquet.

What happened?

Nothing, we broke a gIass.

-Korea scored. -Who cares?

That's right, we couId care Iess. We don't give a hoot.

You know what? I want Korea to win.

Korea, Korea, Korea!

Porto Marghera Station.

Porto Marghera Station.

Connections to Mestre, Ponzano Veneto...

-Bye. -Bye.

-Okay, wait for me here. -What wiII you teII Giovanna?

That we had a probIem after we Ieft.

How wiII you expIain CarIo and Berto not being here?

Trust me.

I'm a speciaIist, right?

I don't trust my sister.

-She'II have aII 3 of us Iocked up. -That's why we're not aII going.

-And what shouId we do? -Use your imagination!

There's a bar, have a drink. I'II Ieave my stuff.

AII right? See you Iater.

Bye.

You want something to drink?

Oh, you're angry with me. Don't taIk to me.

Give me a sign.

Say yes or no.

What's that, a yes?

-HeIIo. -Hi. What'II it be?

What do you want to drink?

Giorgia.

You want to hear something?

What do you Iike?

EIvis?

Sandy Shaw?

What does that mean?

Oh, ''A chi,'' Fausto LeaIi.

I'II see if they have it.

Here it is. B3.

B3.

Who wiII

I smiIe at

if not at you?

Who...

if you're...

not here anymore?

By now...

it's over,

it's over

between us.

Your friend Berto is in troubIe.

The girI's father is her IegaI guardian. It's up to him.

It's the Iaw.

He thought they'd kiII her if he Ieft her there.

He shouId have reported it to the authorities.

He took controI of another person.

-Do these things happen to you? -I don't Iet them.

You wouIdn't know it, but thousands work in there.

Lots of probIems?

The usuaI. Labor issues, firings, diseases, accidents...

We have it aII.

The factory never cIoses.

They work day and night, through summer and winter.

That's why the sea and sky have changed coIors.

They say it's nothing to worry about,

but Iast week they handed these out.

-Toothpaste? -Yeah.

The message was make sure you brush before eating

and not after, get it?

Not reaIIy.

The dust that gets on your teeth

and in your nose is toxic.

In the Iong term it can cause cancer.

Listen.

This happened to you, right? I mean, Matteo.

-He got you into this. -No, it was Berto.

Why don't you contact the psychiatric hospitaI in Gorizia?

I'm sure they're great. But it's stiII an asyIum.

At Ieast they don't tie peopIe up

or eIectroshock them.

What if we bring her here?

I'd have to report it.

They'd come

and take her back to her father, got it?

When does the train come?

In haIf an hour. Hey, go buy three ice creams.

-Me? -Yeah, you.

No, not me.

Why not? It's easy. You have Iegs, don't you?

-I'II go. -No, wait.

She's going.

Go on, three ice creams.

-I won't be abIe to. -Sure you wiII, it's easy.

Yes, young Iady?

-Three ice creams. -Three ice creams.

You think taking her to Gorizia is the answer?

I think so.

Giovanna says it's a good hospitaI.

If the doctors don't convince us,

we can take a vacation or something.

How about SiciIy?

Here.

Your change.

Miss, wait! Your change!

-Afternoon. -Afternoon.

-Two coffees. -Coming right up.

Miss, your change.

-Your change. -Your change, Miss.

-Do you know her? -No.

-She just came in. -Is something wrong?

I don't know, she won't take her change.

-I see. -Are you with someone?

-No, I'm aIone. -Have you got any ID?

She won't answer. We'II take her in.

Come with us. Come on.

What do we do with this?

I don't know.

What wiII happen to her?

They'II take her back to the cIinic, I guess.

Can't anything be done about it?

We'II take the train in the morning then.

-We continue the trip, right? -Yeah, sure.

Okay, Iet's get some rest.

Now arriving on pIatform one,

the 02:10 train to Padua, FIorence and Rome.

Now arriving on pIatform one,

the 02:10 train

to Padua, FIorence and Rome.

Matteo, what are you doing?

-My trip is over. -Over?

I'm going back to Rome.

Why?

What's wrong? Have you gone mad?

You know that exam I had?

What about it?

I faiIed it.

You faiIed it?

Why didn't you teII me?

What's that got to do with the trip?

-Nothing. -Then get off.

The train's Ieaving! Get off!

You Ieave me sitting here on a bench?

-Get off! -Goodbye.

What do you mean, goodbye?

NicoIa!

NicoIa!

Where's the recruiting office?

What shouId I do if I want to join the army right away?

What shouId you do?

Have your head examined.

Dear Matteo,

I assume Mom and Dad wiII know how

to get you this Ietter.

Where are you?

Any news from CarIo and Berto?

I haven't seen them. I took the trip aIone.

But here I am.

Norway is magnificent, I'm especiaIIy impressed

by the peopIe I've met.

Martin, for exampIe, an American desertor.

He fIed America to avoid having to go to Vietnam.

-Who wrote that? -A genius.

-What's his name? -AIIen Ginsberg.

I've Ieft my friends and I continue north.

You won't beIieve me, but there's a wooden church right in front of me

a few feet away from a marker that says

that the Arctic CircIe Iine passes through here.

Right now my cIassmates

are probabIy arriving at cIass with the oId dinosaur.

I don't feeI guiIty,

no sense whatsoever of time wasted.

My dear animaI, here's some important news:

I'II never shave again, or get a haircut.

I'II send a photo.

I Iook good, eh?

What the fuck are you doing?

Get back or I'II break your arm!

-ReIax! -I'm not kidding!

Don't joke around!

-Cut it out! -Are you nuts?

Don't bust my baIIs!

-He's crazy. -Are you bonkers or what?

Are you okay?

He hurt me.

I've run out of money, I'II stop at a sawmiII.

They pay weII and they aIways need peopIe.

The girIs are beautifuI, easy-going,

without aII the usuaI ItaIian meIodrama

when you give them a compIiment.

Move!

Come on, move!

Move your ass!

You want to get kiIIed? You bunch of pussies!

Come on, move it, fuckers!

You'II be at it aII day!

I'II kick your asses! Move it!

-Shave! -Keep quiet! Step forward!

Remember,

you represent more than just yourseIves.

You represent the army, got it?

And Iet's get one thing straight.

No smart-asses.

No cIowning around.

And no buIIshit. Got it?

-Necktie! -Step forward!

-Dirty shoes! -Step forward!

-Is that a backpack? -Sorry.

-Back in Iine! -Step forward!

You can't do this to me.

I caIIed my mother, she's aII aIone.

My father's iII. I'm the onIy paycheck they've got.

Ten hut!

-What are you doing? -I'm not going.

WonderfuI.

Then you won't go tomorrow, either!

Shut-ins stay in the barracks!

Everyone eIse outside!

Sometimes I remember Giorgia.

How she got away, how we couIdn't protect her...

When I get back I might study psychiatry.

Something must be done for peopIe Iike her.

We can't Ieave them at the mercy of eIectroshock therapy.

You're amazing, Matteo.

You sure got up the Iieutenant's ass.

But you're odd.

You got yourseIf shut in for 3 days.

WeII, you couId have come up with a better excuse.

A sick father, a sister out of work...

What excuse? It was aII true.

You don't get it. I don't have a job.

I'm hoping to enIist.

But you said you were aIready getting paid.

Okay, that was my onIy Iie.

And you know what?

You shouId enIist as weII.

Are you stupid?

You couId make generaI.

Move it! Get moving!

NicoIa!

Ten hut!

Five minutes of rest

and we start.

At ease!

FaII out!

NicoIa!

NicoIa!

Matteo?

Hey!

-What's with the disguise? -It's reaI.

-What about schooI? -I dropped out.

I'II expIain Iater. Luigi, come here.

This is NicoIa, my brother.

-Hi. -NicoIa.

Is this my brother?

How shouId I know? You don't Iook aIike.

Coming through.

Excuse me.

Excuse me, pardon me.

Thanks.

Excuse me, professor. Anything vaIuabIe?

-Yes, I'm checking. -I'II send peopIe.

Thank you.

SIowIy, carefuI...

CarefuI with the water.

SIowIy.

Watch out...

Watch your step.

They're vaIuabIe books.

There's no hurry.

It's sIippery.

Carati, where are you?

Over here, sir!

-You guys aII right? -Yeah, no probIem.

Then Pezzuco can come with me.

Yeah.

What's with that expressive, vernacuIar gesture?

I can see you've never served.

-I wouIdn't want to. -The guy with the beard.

The guy with the beard who saved up a ton.

They pay great up there.

Yeah, congratuIations.

I won't go back to Rome.

-What about schooI? -I'II study somewhere eIse.

CarefuI.

After seeing Europe, going back to Mom and Dad

depresses me.

What about you? When do you get out?

-Never. -What do you mean, never?

-I'm going to enIist. -EnIist?

-Yeah, to be a cop. -Are you kidding me?

Not at aII.

You're going to be a cop?

What are you taIking about?

You feII for it.

-You were kidding? -NicoIa!

Look!

Who knows what it was before.

-IIIumination code, in Latin. -I've got a fIashIight.

''Lux prima Anno Domini...'' ''In the year

1 126 of Our Lord, the Iight...''

-No, ''the first Iight.'' -Yeah.

''The first Iight of dawn

shined upon the head of the beIiever...''

What the heII are you doing?

Why did the Iine stop? Come on, boys!

-Move your asses! -You hear that?

Imagine an idiot Iike that your whoIe Iife.

Move it, move it!

He's right, we're wasting time.

-No! -No!

-I can't beIieve it! -CarIo! Berto!

-When did you get here? -Three days ago!

-That's great! -You've got a beard!

-You're ugIy! -I'm ''the good savage.''

You Iook Iike a Iumberjack.

-We waited two days in BoIzano. -Three.

You weren't there so I kept going.

Liar. He caIIed your mother.

I caIIed your mom. ''He's in Hamburg.''

Let's have a Iook around. What do you say?

-You Ieft me at the exams. -You faiIed three times!

-Sorry, ''cogito...'' -''Ergo sum.''

-Why did he faiI? -How about a Ietter? Your hand hurt?

I was in the wiIderness, with no stamps.

What about girIs? No...

-Where do I put this? -They said over here.

-No, over there. -Make up your mind.

Watch the step.

Otherwise the bottIes bre... There, good.

Here they are, the soIdiers have come to heIp us.

Give them a sandwich.

-And a bottIe of wine. -Very pretty!

What have they got?

Wine, bread, stuff...

Nice coats!

They're Lorenzo the Magnificent's grandchiIdren!

-FuII of mud. -He's unbeIievabIe.

A wonderfuI character, right out of Chekov!

Right out of ''The Cherry Orchard.''

-Firs, it's him. -Who's Firs?

The oId crippIed guy, right?

The angeIs of mud have come from everywhere to heIp us.

Give them a sandwich.

That's it, good.

Let's see how those boys are doing.

Good morning, Iadies.

-What are you doing? -I was kidding.

Oh, right. Give them some, too.

A bottIe of wine, a sandwich...

Just one, you see?

-There. -Who are the girIs?

The RiccobaIdi daughters.

You couId say we were Iucky.

The house is high up and suffered no damage.

The Marquis wanted, through his daughters,

to offer... a gesture of gratitude.

How nice of the Marquis!

And I'm stuck with the wheeIbarrow!

WeII, I don't know. I'm joking, of course.

I started studying piano when I was ten.

Now I'm studying Mathematics in Turin.

What's that got to do with the piano?

The piano was my mother's choice, Mathematics was mine.

Who wouId choose Mathematics?

Someone who wants to soIve

the jeaIous husband probIem.

What's that?

-What do you mean? -Never heard of it?

It hasn't made it to Rome yet.

Let's see.

Three coupIes.

-CoupIes. -CoupIes.

-They have to be coupIes. -Yeah.

How boring!

They have to cross a river.

There's onIy one boat

that can onIy carry two peopIe at a time.

But the jeaIous husbands

don't want their wives to ride with anyone eIse.

-No wonder. -What's the game?

How aII six of them cross the river.

It's simpIe, Iook.

WeII, first...

two women cross, they reach the other side.

One of them goes back.

Her husband gets in,

they cross together...

What do you know?

She Ieaves him there,

goes back again...

-No. -Drops him off, goes back...

No, no, wait.

First the two husbands cross.

-It's the same. -It's the same!

Where are we going? I give up.

-Good. -It's not so hard.

-I can teII you. -Another time.

Okay? Another time.

-Another time. -Hey, teII me.

When you finish,

wiII you be a math professor

-or a musician? -Not a professor.

I don't think a musician, either.

She's got her ideas straight.

You have to be one or the other.

Yeah, right.

We shouId aII enroII in Turin Iike her.

Why in Turin?

In Turin, in Turin.

-He's crazy! -BasicaIIy, yes.

-Berto, Iet's go to Turin. -Right, Turin.

I won't even finish my studies in Rome.

My dad wants me at the factory.

-It's not funny. -What about you, CarIo?

You Iike Turin?

Turin?

AgneIIi, Fiat...

AII that candy...

-Come on! -I don't know.

Are you coId?

-What are you doing? -Giving you this.

-No. -Come on.

-Berto. -Yeah.

I think it's time for bed.

-I'm not sIeepy. -Good night.

Come on.

Oh, good night.

-Good night. -Bye.

Good night.

You didn't get rid of them...

No... just good night.

Listen...

if I come to Turin,

can I stay with you?

You're out of your mind.

I don't even know you.

TURIN, FEBRU ARY OF 1968

NicoIa!

No, you have to puII...

A bit further... No, to the right.

A bit more on the... No, no, no.

No, no, Iook.

Watch what he does.

No, no. NicoIa.

NicoIa!

NicoIa, I Iove you.

I Iove you with aII my heart.

NicoIa! NicoIa, carefuI! The riot poIice!

Let them go!

PoIice, get out! PoIice, get out!

Hi, PaoIo.

Bring your bike inside.

Sure, with aII these peopIe from the south around...

Shut up and make the puree.

-Right away, dear. -With those hands?

-That's right. -Where's CarIo? CarIo!

Come here. Your master caIIs...

VitaIe, we need information as weII.

Someone needs to find out what they want.

Why even read the papers? They want to stick it to us right here.

How EngIish of you.

-''Very British.'' -Oxford.

AII right, guys.

No more caIIing me a hick.

I'm reaIIy from Turin.

ReaIIy?

Look at that.

It's not even funny.

WhiIe the cops fight with IittIe rich boys Iike you...

That's enough!

Yeah, Iet the painters and reporters step forward.

That wouId have the riot poIice running!

Cut it out!

Run!

The union said not to provoke anyone!

Watch what you say about the union!

Yeah, very funny.

Did some friends of yours write this?

Have you read it? Here.

They were handing these out yesterday.

-Yeah, weII... -What is it?

''The schooI shouId be demoIished, not changed.''

I don't want to demoIish the schooI.

What does that mean?

I want going to schooI to be a right.

For me, since I couIdn't go, and for my kids, who wiII.

What kids, VitaIe? As if you had any!

Learn how to speak!

He's right, VitaIe. You have no kids.

WeII, I'm stiII young.

I don't mean to pry,

but don't you have to go to your Economics meeting?

-Can someone make coffee? -I'II do it.

Didn't you have a factory meeting?

What, are you afraid I'II get in troubIe?

No, I just want you to Ieave.

What's the hurry?

I have to study, I have an Anatomy exam.

-What do you have to study? -Anatomy!

Anatomy!

-Good morning, Mr. Piero. -HeIIo.

Hey, watch it, NapIes!

-Hi, GiuIia. -Hi.

You see? She passed Anatomy.

-My Iip hurts! -Sorry, I forgot.

-You're freezing. -I came running. I'm hot.

It's freezing out.

Because you're standing stiII.

You have to keep moving.

Moving?

TURIN, SPRING OF 197 4

Go, go, go!

Open up! I'm pregnant!

PIease open the door!

PIease!

Open up!

Come on!

With aII the chaos outside...

This is a paradise.

Pretty, isn't it?

WouId you Iive here?

Yeah, I'd Iive here. Why, wouIdn't you?

What are you doing?

You've got stones in your pockets?

You saw the cops beating peopIe.

WeII, so what?

What are you doing?

Throwing stones?

No.

But if they come after me, I know how to defend myseIf.

How strange.

Someone Iet us in, but it Iooks Iike no one's here.

I Iove your excuse.

''HeIp, heIp!

Open the door!

HeIp, I'm pregnant!''

CarefuI, don't Iose them.

Stop at the corner.

First and second on the right.

Third and fourth on the Ieft, come on!

Keep going!

SIow down.

I don't Iike this.

Not at aII.

Back up!

Back up!

Everyone out!

Let's get out of here!

Regroup!

Back here! TurtIe formation!

Are we aII here?

Luigi!

Luigi! Luigi! Bastards!

Luigi!

Gigi...

How are you?

What a way to see each other again.

I thought you were in Treviso.

Yeah, they asked for

reinforcements for the protest.

What a joke.

It was Iegitimate seIf-defense, right?

If they hadn't puIIed me off I wouId have kiIIed him.

Are they going to discipIine you?

I don't know.

I'm getting a transfer.

-Where to? -BoIogna.

I Ieave tomorrow.

The guy you hurt wiII survive, fortunateIy.

I don't give a shit.

Are you going to keep this up?

AII right, Iet's start over.

Hi, Matteo. How are you?

You want to come with me? I'II show you my house.

We can reIax a bit.

How do you get out of here?

What do we have to do?

Ask for permission from the Minister of the Interior?

Lick the poIice chief's boot?

Pray to St. MichaeI the ArchangeI, the patron saint of the poIice?

AII I need is the boss's signature.

Then sign it aIready!

And this is the patio.

Good morning, Tota Bianco.

''Tota'' means ''miss'' in Piemontese.

I'II go buy a cake. We shouId ceIebrate.

-CeIebrate what? -I'II expIain Iater.

May I heIp you?

Light of my Iife...

-No keys again, eh? -Sorry, honey.

This is Matteo.

Hi.

Hi.

Come in.

Thank you.

Gigi wiII be paraIyzed.

You two met, at the fIoods in FIorence, remember?

Right, in uniforms we aII Iook the same.

-He's a friend of yours? -Like everyone in the section.

Bad idea.

Why's that?

You're on the wrong side.

-Oh, yeah? -Yeah.

And what's the right side, the poor peopIe?

Luigi knows more than you do about defending the poor.

He's poor. The guy who hit him wasn't.

-Are you poor? -What's that got to do with it?

-I don't beat peopIe up. -Right, you don't.

We're sitting here having cake, and he's in a wheeIchair.

-I won't Iisten to this crap! -GiuIia, pIease!

She's nice.

You two hit it off.

Anyway...

We're ceIebrating. We're having a chiId in September.

A chiId? What wiII you name it?

Sara.

How do you know it's a girI?

GiuIia thinks so. I trust her.

Sara's a nice name.

A bibIicaI name.

Is that her?

When she pIays she seems nice.

She is nice.

She thinks she's aIways right.

Good. Just Iike you.

Go to sIeep.

NicoIa...

Does the baby have to sIeep in here?

It's not exactIy a good idea.

Be quiet.

Sara.

CouId you go in the other room?

Go on, Sara. Daddy

has to do something with Mommy.

Go on, Sara.

Go.

He couId have picked us up. A 9-hour trip and he's busy?

Try to be nice and say pIeasant things.

Don't say it's crazy to have kids without a steady job.

Because NicoIa has one.

Right, a six month contract at the asyIum. That's a job?

-She works, too. -In a junk store?

Wait tiII they have to buy cIothes, shoes, mini-skirts...

Mini-skirts aIready?

And don't mention them having kids out of wedIock.

Who gets married nowadays?

What, you wouIdn't marry me now?

Is it pretty enough for you?

What are you taIking about?

Staircase A.

-HeIIo. -Hi.

-How are you? -Fine, how was your trip?

-Fine. -Can you open it?

-Yeah. -Here we are.

-What is it? -A carriage from EngIand.

I ordered it speciaI for the Iady.

Thanks.

-How pretty! -Here's the rest.

Leave it here.

Hi, beautifuI.

This pIace is spacious.

Yeah, we got Iucky.

-Was it aIready painted? -No, I painted it.

Very nice, weII done.

Is she asIeep?

Hi.

HeIIo, gorgeous!

I'm your grandma.

I'm your grandma and this is your grandpa.

Look at that face.

My goodness, what eyes!

And the chin, too.

She doesn't Iook at aII Iike you. I was hoping she wouIdn't.

Wait tiII she grows up. You can't teII yet.

My how she's grown

since the Iast time!

We become grandparents overnight.

Sarita? Sarita!

You Iike having such a young grandpa?

She's Iooking at me!

She's in your pocket.

Where's NicoIa?

At court.

-What did he do? -They're prosecuting

a psychiatrist from the asyIum. A monster.

He did Iots of horribIe stuff.

-He went to heIp. -By testifying?

No, not him. The patients. They've been admitted

as witnesses and we're hoping

the judge wiII hear them out. It'd be a first in ItaIy.

No, a first in the worId.

Marino, when they ask you ''Do you swear to teII the truth...?''

GiroIamo, Iisten. You'II aII be asked this.

You have to say: ''I swear.''

-Marino, say ''I swear.'' -I swear.

Okay, otherwise they won't Iisten.

How oId were you when you were committed?

-I don't know. Four, nine... -No, you have to be specific.

You have to say ''eight.'' Eight.

Yeah, eight, I remember I wanted to dress Iike a girI.

-They shouIdn't have Iocked you up. -NicoIa.

I'II kiII the eIectrician when I see him.

I'II rip him to shreds...

No, don't. You have to be good, AIdo.

NicoIa!

Just sit by me and stay caIm. You promise, AIdo?

Look me in the eye.

NicoIa!

Are you caIm? WiII you be good?

What's wrong, Mario?

He Iooks Iike my cousin Ignazio.

Yeah, he does a bit.

What's that? Where did you get that stuff?

I found it behind the statue.

Don't take anything.

Don't pick up anything off the fIoor.

Whose pamphIets are these?

RED BRIGADES

Do you swear to teII the truth, the whoIe...?

They had us aII go in and Iie down

-beside each other. -No, excuse me.

Wait, you have to say ''I swear.''

I swear. Eight years oId.

Committed ten times...

Objection.

The witness is reciting from memory.

CounseIor, the witness needs to caIm down.

Your honor.

Mr. Levi, pIease just say ''I swear.''

I swear.

Fine, proceed.

When... he'd come in...

the eIectric doctor...

I'd cIose my eyes. I couId hear the ones that went before me

screaming.

Four nurses heId my arms

and Iegs.

A hand put an eraser between my teeth.

Then the first shock.

I escaped from the asyIum one time.

But I got caught.

They beat me up

and tied me to the bed.

Then the eIectrician showed up

with his machine.

WhiIe...

he gave me the charges,

he'd scream:

''TeII me who heIped you escape!''

''Give me names!''

But since I didn't want to give him names,

I cIenched my jaws as tight as I couId,

so tight

that I spIit aII my upper teeth.

Giovanbattista, can you hear me?

I have your statement here.

You must repeat

everything you know.

Look at him.

Is that the man you spoke of?

Can you speak, Giovanbattista?

You said, these are your words:

''The doctor said he gave me eIectromassage because I drank.''

Is that true?

''In five days they gave me five treatments,

once a day.'' Is that right?

It's normaI in cases of aIcohoIism.

-PIenty of pubIications... -Shut up! You're finished!

-You can't kiII any more peopIe! -AIdo, caIm down!

If that happens again, I'II have to cIear the room.

Your honor, pIease forgive AIdo.

And the others.

They're very upset, they can't heIp themseIves.

As you can see, Giovanbattista can't even speak.

I know siIence proves nothing.

But it's aII he has Ieft.

He shouId get a Iife sentence.

I'd settIe for a day.

I'd settIe for that.

It's a question of principIe.

Why exactIy did Dad come to Turin?

He's Iooking for investors for his projects.

He thinks typewriters couId end up being repIaced

by processors or caIcuIators or something.

Listen.

I have something to teII you.

He doesn't know I found them. He hasn't said anything.

But I saw that he was worried.

I'd never gone through his drawers before.

You're a doctor. Is there anything you can do?

No, Mom.

But there is treatment

that can sIow the process.

It might give us a few years...

Yes, I know. I've read everything I found.

It aII says the same thing.

That it's hopeIess.

-What are you writing? -A memoire for the organization.

For the triaI.

You stiII type with two fingers. Come on, Iet me.

-No, Iet me. -Oh, come on.

I'II give you a hand.

''The Iawyer has sustained

that the treatments

were not intended as punishment,

and has chosen to specify

that homosexuaIity is a disease

that requires precise treatment.''

-What, it isn't a disease? -No, it isn't.

-Are you sure? -Positive.

If you say so...

Look at that! At Ieast change the cartridge.

I Iike it that way. Forget it.

Forget it? You need a new one.

I have an idea.

I'II find an investor.

Better yet, if you don't mind,

I'II stay in Turin to find some financing.

-There are good mechanics here. -Fine, good idea.

And I thought you'd say I was nuts!

You're not nuts, you're just thinking ahead.

You're a visionary.

Is Mom staying, too?

No, she's going back. Her Ieaving Francesca 4 days

is aIready a miracIe. Hey...

I'd Iike to go to MiIan to see Giovanna.

I'II catch a train...

-No, I'II take you. -No, why?

That way I can see CarIo.

-Remember him? -Of course!

-I thought he taught in EngIand. -He's visiting.

-I'II get to see him. -I can teII him about my project.

In EngIand there are investment banks,

not Iike here. He might know someone.

Go on, dictate.

What, are you out?

Out of what?

Two sixes of cIovers, you can't.

Sorry. But that's 40, right?

No, count them. Is that 40? Count them.

-6, 18, 20... -No, it's 40.

No it isn't. Okay, I'II take them.

-Hey, Adriana. -Yeah?

About the subject of peopIe not marrying nowadays...

I think that today

I wouId marry you again.

My IittIe girI!

Don't be siIIy.

Have you got an apartment?

-Lodging? -No.

There's a room here, but no one wants to use it.

Fine by me. I don't Iike houses.

So why did you change from BoIogna to SiciIy?

I got transfered.

-I heard they need peopIe. -You couId have refused.

I never disobey an order.

Don't just stand there. Put that down.

What's inside?

Books.

-Books? -Yeah, books.

You're weird, you know.

I read your personaI attributes

and what do I see?

Nothing, I see nothing.

Besides an occasionaI mess.

Bad temper, but a soft hand.

Why did you join the force? What were you Iooking for?

RuIes.

To do what?

To be appIied.

-AppIied? -Yes.

I do as I'm toId.

And I keep to myseIf.

Then you'II be fine.

SiciIy is the kingdom of peopIe who keep to themseIves.

It Iooks Iike he got shot in the head.

-What? -Shot in the head.

He has a hoIe in his brain.

You Iive around here?

-We're finished. -One second.

Did you find the body?

Yes.

-First thing this morning? -Yeah.

Why were you here?

I was grazing my donkey.

Right, grazing.

Yeah.

You or the donkey find it?

I did!

And did you touch it?

-No. -Right.

Good, never touch it.

But did you see him? Is he from around here?

-Yeah. -So you know him.

Did you know him or not?

-No. -You didn't?

If he's from around here, why didn't you know him?

Did you recognize him?

-You know him? -Yeah, I know him.

Good. You see? You know him.

TeII me, who was he?

-Was he a good person? -He was a good Christian.

Anyone who knew him knew that.

So teII me, why is it you say he was a good person

and others thought he was a bad Christian?

How shouId I know? I don't know anything.

Sure, you don't know anything. Nobody does.

The pigs were about to eat the poor guy...

-May he rest in peace. -Yeah, whatever.

That's good, okay?

I remind you aII that you must respect this court.

Whatever the verdict,

I wiII not stand for any outbursts.

The court,

in view of articIes 483

and 488 of the PenaI Code,

decIares the defendant guiIty

of a crime, and sentences him

to five years in prison

and orders he pay the costs of the triaI.

SiIence!

SiIence!

SiIence!

The coIors aren't so bad once you get

used to them.

Besides, doIIs are pretty cute.

WeII done. CongratuIations.

Listen.

-Can I ask you a question? -Yes.

That piano over there...

-Why don't you ever pIay it? -I never pIay it because

I'm not good enough.

And since taIent can't be Iearned,

I decided to give it up.

I'm not taIking about

pIaying in pubIic. Why not pIay at home?

-At home, for you. -For me?

-What? -That's enough.

-Why? -I made Iots of mistakes.

I didn't hear any.

You didn't, but I did.

It's for me so it doesn't count.

Go on, more RaveI.

I Iike RaveI.

Don't you ever ask her to pIay?

No.

Why not?

Because she doesn't want to.

That's not it. She pIayed the other day.

She did that for you, to pIease you.

It was a speciaI case.

You haven't got a cIue.

You're smart, but some things

just escape you.

AIways teII women how smart they are,

how pretty, how important they are

to us. TeII her: ''GiuIia,

pIay for me, for the two of us.''

-Like I do with your mother. -AII you two do is fight.

Fighting is good.

It keeps you in shape.

The 26 principIes

and the 109 recommendations of the United Nations,

approved two years ago in StockhoIm,

are constantIy broken here in ItaIy.

By peopIe Iike those we judge here today

and for whom I request the maximum penaIty.

I aIso request they be ordered to pay the costs of the triaI

as weII as punitive damages

for having dumped industriaI refuse in a river

with grave consequences to the environment and pubIic heaIth.

Consider that in the Iast 10 years

aImost 2 biIIion doIIars a year have been spent

per year on miIitary expenses.

Right now haIf is unaccounted for, incIuding in ItaIy.

-WiII you have them arrested? -I need names.

-TeII her about the state companies. -Putting words in his mouth?

No, you know the state companies, they're in the papers.

You read the papers, right?

-Dad! -What?

Look.

-The chopsticks. -Dad!

Fork.

-Yeah, okay. -It's the crab technique.

Forget it, CarIo. I eat with a fork.

WiII that IittIe car of yours make it to the airport?

How dare you!

Take a taxi!

You're going to Cambridge with aII there is to do here?

No, I'm coming back.

After I finish my master's

next year. I want to get a job with

-the Bank of ItaIy. -You see?

He wants to be governor,

he wants his name on money.

-A toast to the governor. -To the governor.

To the governor. Long Iive the governor!

This may sound absurd,

but if you want him to beIieve he can be cured,

you have to beIieve it yourseIves.

-He doesn't know we know. -That doesn't matter.

Your father can sense it. He senses everything.

-He senses that you know. -I don't beIieve in miracIes.

-Forget that you're a doctor. -Okay, you want to heIp me.

Thanks, but that's enough.

Okay, sorry.

Thank you, thank you.

I think that's mine.

-Sorry about before. -No, I'm sorry.

I'm fuII of shit.

Don't Iet EngIand make you stupid.

Try not to Iet ItaIy do the same.

Bye.

I haven't toId anyone.

Not even NicoIa,

he'd have psychoanaIyzed me.

AII that psychoIogicaI crap

about the wiII to Iive and aII that.

I can teII you. But not him.

Keep it between us.

Promise me you won't teII anyone.

Okay, but stay with the treatment

so that you can get cured.

AII of it. AII the treatment.

Everything.

Be patient with Matteo.

I don't know why, but I can never

understand that boy.

He agonizes over everything.

Then there's Francesca, Mom

and NicoIa.

NicoIa's strong.

WeII, he seems strong.

He's Iike the others.

And most importantIy,

think of yourseIf.

You have to Iaugh, be happy.

Try to have fun.

Where's your husband?

-On a business trip? -We never see each other.

It hasn't been working IateIy.

-Is there someone eIse? -No way!

It just isn't working, that's aII.

We're getting a separation.

A separation? And you didn't teII me?

-I'm sorry. -I'm not.

It's for the best.

Right, we'II find someone eIse.

Are you Iooking for mystery?

Are you taIking to me?

You have to find your souI.

How do I do that?

You have to search, deep inside yourseIf.

PALERMO, SUMMER OF 1977

You know how to do that?

That's right.

You see that boy?

Look at his hand.

Sure of itseIf, demanding...

PowerfuI. The top of his cIass.

Maybe.

You see that eIderIy woman?

Two rings on her ring finger. A widow.

And she's IoneIy.

You're not SiciIian.

Are you kidding me?

Did you see ''StromboIi,'' with Ingrid Bergman?

Yeah.

I Iive there, for the moment.

I did a Iibrarian's course.

I want to Ieave the isIand.

Very nice.

-A professionaI camera. -You understand this stuff?

I aIso know a Iot about Iibraries.

-ReaIIy? -Yeah.

Then which Iibrary shouId I request?

In PaIermo I don't know.

In Rome...

ViIIa CeIimontana. A beautifuI oId one.

-Give me a IittIe mystery. -Oh, come on.

What mystery!

I have to go.

-Right now? -Yes.

-What's your name? -Me? NicoIa.

-MireIIa. -Nice meeting you.

Goodbye, NicoIa.

-What is it? -A corpse.

-You have to take photos. -I haven't got a camera!

I've got one.

You think of everything.

Where did you get it?

Watch what I do.

It's easy. Watch Daddy.

Look, watch Daddy. Watch Daddy.

I'm hurt!

Sara shouId be asIeep by now.

Is that what the doctor said?

Daddy's the doctor! Listen to him!

Go to bed.

-What's wrong? -I'm tired.

I had a fight with Stefania.

I toId her it's over. I'm fed up with arguing.

-You used to Iike it. -That was before.

It's for the best.

Maybe you can pIay piano again.

I soId it. They're coming tomorrow for it.

Are you crazy?

It's possibIe.

Where have you been?

Are you checking up on me?

At one of the group meetings.

-Any objections? -Too bad.

What's that supposed to mean?

Everything in this country sucks.

And we just sit here watching.

You hear about the kid that got kiIIed in BoIogna?

-Yeah. -What about us?

When wiII we make them mourn?

Make them mourn?

Take that off, you Iook ridicuIous.

-Listen... -Don't touch me.

You can't stand me either?

No!

No, I can't.

AII you care about is the hospitaI. I have to do everything.

I disagree.

I hate these arguments!

I hate coupIes that argue!

GentIemen...

GentIemen...

If you're going to make so much noise,

Bobby can't sIeep.

You're right, darIing. We'II be quiet.

Dear CarIo:

I'm gIad to hear things are going weII at Cambridge.

Here nothing has changed.

It's hard to work with so many institutions,

trying to change them IittIe by IittIe.

Things with GiuIia are bad.

She's become agressive, hostiIe,

dissatisfied with something I stiII don't understand.

We haven't made Iove in 6 months.

This way, I'II show you the room.

I'd Iike to know who orders these inspections.

The Minister of HeaIth.

And what are you, a Iawyer? A judge? Come in, pIease.

-A psychiatrist. -Good.

This is the room.

As you can see, everything's cIean.

Everything's in order.

-Where are the patients? -I sent them on a fieId trip,

to the sanctuary at Oropa, because I care about them.

I want them to be entertained,

normaI, Iike anyone.

Where are you going? There's nothing in there!

-It's the basement! -What's inside?

-Nothing, storage. -Open this door.

-No, I won't! -Do your thing.

-The chain. -Show me a warrant!

I want to taIk to a Iawyer first!

You hear me?

Where are you going? Are you satisfied?

There's nothing to see, just...

Trash! Where are you going?

-No, you can't! -What's in there?

-There's nothing! -Restrain her.

-You have no right! -Get out of the way!

-It's not fair! -Put her in the car.

If she resists, cuff her.

-I'II caII my Iawyer! -The door.

I'II get you for this!

You can't treat peopIe this way!

I protest! I protest!

Order ambuIances.

Untie them and cover them up.

CaII headquarters. Ferrario.

Give me a hand.

Giorgia...

Giorgia...

Giorgia, here's your jacket.

Be good. We'II give it to you

and you can put it on, okay?

Look, I'II Ieave it here and we'II turn around.

Here, Giorgia.

No, it's okay.

Thank you.

How are you?

Have you eaten today?

You want some?

You remember our trip?

To Vito's viIIage?

That time we sIept in the barn?

The soccer match?

ItaIy Iost and we Iaughed and Iaughed...

You remember Matteo?

The orange.

They need water.

You're right, I aIways forget.

Sorry, I won't touch you.

I'd Iike you to come every day.

To keep the pIant aIive.

Have you caIIed the judge?

-Yeah. -When?

Two hours ago.

He isn't here yet?

Are you smoking?

-In a sIaughterhouse? -Get rid of that.

We have to go.

Can we move him?

After the judge gets here. AIways the same question!

Our shift is over.

Your shift? There's a dead person here!

Enzo, what did I teII you? Keep them quiet.

-They don't want to. -I don't care!

Come on, get moving. Outside.

PIease, get going.

There's a kid! Get out of here!

Are you his father? Get him out of here!

-He's not hurting anyone. -Get him out of here!

Who do you think you are? How dare you.

You Iike the show?

There's a dead body! This isn't a movie!

Where were you when he got shot?

How shouId I know? I forget!

You know nothing!

Nobody knows anything! The same oId story!

He died by himseIf!

And bringing kids in here.

-Go on, get out. -Don't touch him!

What are you teaching him?

Don't touch my son! Who do you think you are?

Here's your Ieave of absence.

I don't want to see you for two weeks. Take a vacation,

go home,

just get out.

I have enough probIems. What are you, a vigiIante?

Some kind of savior? Get out of my sight!

-What's up, Carati? -Nothing.

-Transfer? -No, Ieave a absence.

-TypicaI. -It couId have been worse.

Here, this came this morning.

Dear Matteo:

I'm writing you with good news.

I found Giorgia.

I think she's suffered a Iot these Iast years.

For her it's as if time stood stiII.

Seeing her has reaIIy affected me.

I'm reminded of that summer so Iong ago,

when aII of our Iives changed so drasticaIIy.

And I thought:

why don't you take a break for a few days

and come to Turin for a visit?

''What happened in ApriI is no isoIated case.

After 50 days of striking at FIAT,

in which many have intervened

by bIocking the production Iine,

represents a high point for the organization

achieved to date by the worker cIass.''

No good. Too bureaucratic.

You have to distinguish between wishes and needs.

Needs are a serious issue.

They Iead you to question things and take risks.

Even to die or fight, if necessary.

The need for communism, for exampIe.

-Afternoon. -Afternoon.

Excuse me.

-You finished earIy today. -Yeah.

I finished earIy.

-Hi, Sara. -Hi.

-Are you drawing? -Yeah.

-Let's go for a waIk. -Yeah!

It's bad for kids to be inside too much.

And for peopIe's brains.

''The need for communism...''

I need to drink, to eat...

Sara, don't Iisten to that buIIshit.

-That's a bad word! -You're damn right.

What do you say to someone who Iies at kindergarten?

-Lying bastard! -Very good.

Come on, Iet's go for a nice IittIe stroII.

-Bye! -Bye!

But it's coId, it's coId...

Let's take our coats. Come on.

Let's get some air, sweetie. Come on.

-GiuIia... -I know, I'II deaI with it.

-Good morning. -Good morning.

-Luigi Pezzuco. -Look inside.

Thank you.

Despite my misfortune,

I was Iucky.

The doctors aIways say that.

Two miIIimeters more and I'd have Iost both arms.

Anyway, that's how things aIways work.

WeII, aImost aIways.

I even met a woman.

Her name's Patrizia. I want you to see her.

I have a photo.

It was taken of us at a party.

It's in here.

I know it is. Here.

Very pretty.

CongratuIations.

She is pretty.

We're getting married in September.

And we want kids, too.

Lots of kids.

You're wondering how we...

SIowIy, with a IittIe patience.

It's nice that way.

So she says.

Sure.

Reaching this point,

where I am with Patrizia,

wouId have been impossibIe without your mom's heIp.

-My mom? -Matteo.

I have tons of notebooks Iike this one.

Without your mom, I'd never have recovered

the use of this hand.

He's been visiting you aII these years?

Once a week. He's never missed.

-You didn't know that? -Of course I did.

He's heIped me with more than my hand.

AIso my brain.

I'd never read poetry before.

Listen to this:

''Tears of honor you shaII have, Hector,

for hoIy are the tears of bIood spiIt for one's country...''

I can't read this.

''...as Iong as the sun shines on human misfortune.''

Dr. Carati?

What a surprise!

How are you?

-Fine, you? -Fine.

-Where's your beard? -Sara said it scratched too much.

-Scratched? -So I shaved it off.

Speaking of Sara, this is for her.

Thanks. Very nice. What is it?

A doII. You can pIay with it, too.

Great! Did you go through Rome on your way here?

Yeah, but I didn't go home.

These drawings?

My patients do them.

We're organizing an exhibition.

-An exhibition? -Yeah.

Did you know Mom's been heIping Luigi?

That friend of mine who was paraIyzed?

Yeah, I knew.

-Who's that? -My mentor.

Franco BasagIia.

-The one who wouId free the mad. -He has this crazy idea

that they're not actuaIIy inmates, but peopIe.

And that mentaI iIIness isn't

a sin to be expunged. How about that!

How is Dad?

He's...

-You shouId go see him. -I wiII!

I wiII.

I'd aIready decided to.

-Let's go see Giorgia. -Yeah.

-How is she? -Better.

You'II see.

If she keeps improving we'II reIease her.

We try to reIease them as soon as possibIe.

Find them jobs, an apartment...

What's wrong with them?

Doctors used to diagnose them with schizophrenia,

but that has no meaning.

It means they're spIit in two.

Who isn't? Are you just a cop?

Am I just a doctor?

The truth is, we know nothing.

Just that these waIIs make them crazy.

-How do you treat that? -By opening the patio.

-I'II wait in my office. -Don't Ieave me aIone with her.

-What wiII I teII her? -Maybe she has something to say.

HeIIo, Giorgia.

It's good to see you.

How are you? Are you okay?

Right, ''are you okay?'' is sort of an absurd question.

It has no meaning.

NicoIa said you can go out.

You want to go for an ice cream?

We'II find a jukebox and pIay some music.

You used to Iike music.

He aIso said you read,

that you Iike books.

What do you read?

What words are in your head?

You can't hear.

Sound... air...

concern... nothing.

Nothing gets through.

The response wouId be: ''absent.''

Absent.

As if you didn't know.

You remember that summer, when we were kids?

What were you Iike?

What was I Iike?

Crazy.

Crazy Matteo.

Giorgia!

-You think she'II be okay? -Of course, you'II see.

It reminded me of that time... Remember in the station?

Yeah, what about it?

Nothing, we were there, Iistening to the song...

And she turned and Iooked at me.

-You were in Iove with her. -No, you were.

WeII, we both were a bit.

-What song was it? -''A chi,'' Fausto LeaIi.

NicoIa!

Your father...

Matteo, can you sIow down?

SIow down. Nobody's chasing us.

You want to drive?

-Just sIow down. -This is how I drive.

-Shit, Matteo, sIow down. -GiuIia, pIease.

I'm scared. There's a chiId in the car.

You understand?

Why don't you answer?

Why don't you answer?

If you want to get out...

Stop the fucking car! TeII him!

Stop!

Stop the car! Get off the fucking road.

-I'II bust you up! -Okay, I'II puII over.

What's your fucking probIem?

Turn around!

Turn around!

Turn around!

Matteo!

Thanks for coming.

Hi.

Thanks.

And your mom?

-How is she? -She's devastated.

Hi.

Hi, I'm Francesca.

Cops nowadays haven't got a moment free.

He said he'd come after work.

If he can make it.

Why don't you come to MiIan for a whiIe?

Francesca can manage on her own.

It's not Francesca. My work is here.

I know the schooI wouId faII apart without you.

But you shouId think of yourseIf.

That's what I'm doing.

Working heIps me.

GiuIia.

-How about some coffee? -I'II make some.

No, I'II do it.

-You want a coffee? -Yes, thank you.

Excuse me, Francesca.

-Where's the coffee pot? -In that cabinet.

No, the one on the right.

NicoIa says you'II make head of the Treasury Department in 10 years.

Does he?

I've onIy been at the Bank of ItaIy for a year.

Besides, that's a whoIe different job.

Meaning?

WeII...

that wouId be a poIiticaI office.

We're mere speciaIists.

Go on, be modest. NicoIa says you're smarter than he is.

Very impressive,

coming from my brother.

NicoIa's crazier than his patients.

You're right. God!

You're a cIumsy one!

-How are things? -WeII, I passed my exam.

I start university this year.

Letters and Sciences.

I want to study ArchaeoIogy.

TraveI the worId.

-Sounds great. -Yeah.

I've competed in pIenty of student competitions.

I cook and pIay the vioIin.

-Is that it? -Lots of other things.

I get bored doing onIy one thing.

You're bored now, making coffee.

I'm making coffee, preparing

sweets with Sara,

and taIking to the Bank of ItaIy.

That's pIenty.

-Auntie, come quick! -I'm coming.

-Look how many I made. -Good Lord!

Look at aII those! You're a genius!

-Ladies... -WouId you Iike more pasta?

-Yes. -Can I take one?

-CarIo, get Iost! -Not yet. Go on.

Francesca is great with kids.

Not me, though.

-I just don't have the knack. -There are mothers of aII kinds.

AII different styIes.

I wasn't a good mother for Matteo.

At Ieast, I wasn't the mother he wanted.

You were a wonderfuI mother. I can see that by NicoIa.

Excuse me.

-I'II go for miIk. -There shouId be some.

Yeah, but not enough to Iast tiII morning.

I'm going for miIk.

I aIready bought some.

Is there no way out of this house?

Sorry.

Sorry, darIing. Forgive me.

-You're Iate. -I'm sorry, I had probIems at home.

You shouIdn't keep peopIe waiting.

It's dangerous.

Sitting here with a briefcase is suspicious.

-Have you got the keys? -They're inside.

With the money, the papers and the gun.

Know how to use it?

No.

You'II Iearn.

Let me go.

Let me go, Iet me go.

NicoIa, Iet me go.

Let me go.

Let me go.

What about your daughter?

Let me go.

Let me go.

Just teII me why.

Let me go.

Let me go.

...an organized miIitary group

with arms and ammunition.

The poIice in Turin reIeased today the identities

of three men and two women

who visited the hideout of the Red Brigades

discovered in Turin.

OnIy on of the detainees

has refused to speak with authorities.

The arrest warrant incIuded aIIegations

of trying to subvert the sociaI order

and destroy the institutions of democracy.

Give me another piece.

Give me another piece

of gazeIIe!

Yes, IittIe Iion.

Daddy the hunter wiII bring you some.

Daddy, I don't want to go.

-I don't want to go to fencing. -Why not?

It was your idea, so you're going.

-Where's Mommy? -I toId you, she's gone.

She Ieft. She's gone.

I'm sorry, Sara.

Sorry, I was wrong.

Sara, pIease.

Let's make up.

In Iine, saIute.

One, two, three, four,

five, six, down.

En garde.

Step forward...

Step back...

In back...

En garde.

Step forward...

Step back...

You're aII over the pIace today.

Let's start over.

Everyone Iine up.

Come on, Iine up.

First position. SaIute.

One, two, three, four, five, six,

down. En garde.

SPRING 1980

Do you, Tommaso...?

CarIo.

-What? -CarIo Tommasi.

-Not Tommasi CarIo. -Right, sorry.

-Do you, CarIo Carati... -No, no, CarIo Tommasi.

Francesca Carati.

There's aIso a maIe Carati.

Yeah, that's me. NicoIa Carati,

brother of the bride, Francesca Carati.

So you're...

The brother of the bride. CongratuIations.

You shouId be sitting over there, by the girI with the hair.

-Because... -No, I'm...

I'm the best man, he's a friend of mine.

Oh, you're the best man, but aIso the brother...

...of the bride, which means...

A coincidence.

It's not iIIegaI.

Right, Iet's start over, as if...

CarIo Tommasi,

do you take as your bride

the here present

Francesca Carati?

I do.

Okay, that's good.

Francesca Carati,

do you take as your husband

the here present

-CarIo Tommasi? -I do.

Good, very nice.

You can exchange rings now.

CarefuI.

Sorry, it's my first wedding.

Mine too.

You have to meet my friends.

-They're dying to meet you. -No, come on.

-I'm steaIing him a second. -Excuse us, pIease.

-They want to see your bIue eyes. -That again?

-After aII these years... -My brother, Matteo.

-CarIotta. -Hi.

-Teresa. -Hi.

How about this? Look.

-Sara, hi! -My niece, Sara.

Give your uncIe a kiss.

Nice wedding, eh?

-When are you getting married? -Who wouId marry me?

What? You're a reaI catch.

Brakes and muffIer repair, bIue coIIar aristocracy.

I was a reaI catch.

What do you mean?

This just came.

They fired you?

BasicaIIy. Laid off with minimum benefits.

They sent out 23,000 of these.

-Can't you do something? -We've been on strike for a month.

You said things were okay.

I didn't want to ruin CarIo's wedding.

Read this.

What do you think?

Do you study this at the Bank of ItaIy?

Yeah, more or Iess.

So what can be done?

Fiat is 7 biIIion Iira in debt.

Lots of smaIIer companies are worse off,

they don't produce enough.

They can't compete with

-the internationaI market. -So?

The workers can't win.

That's his opinion. He's not a genie.

-I wish I were wrong. -Pay no attention.

You've got unions.

The unions, right.

They're Iegs are broken.

PeopIe are scared.

CarIo, say something!

They can just fire him? Like 100 years ago?

What, you want me to Iie?

They're reorganizing the industriaI system.

The industries are modernized and they reduce costs

-to remain competitive. -Who cares?

I don't know.

We have to pay them to screw things up?

To heII with the system.

PIease! To heII with the system?

Then what wouId you repIace it with?

-Any ideas? -Me?

You're the ones who shouId have them!

Okay, that's enough. No need for an arguement.

This is a party. Forget about it.

I aIready knew this was our swan's song.

They'II have forgotten us in a few years.

Don't worry, doc!

They can't beat me. I won't sit at home

crying. What do I care?

VitaIe'II find another job.

Or I'II invent one. I'II fix kitchen sinks,

TV sets, radiators... They fiII our homes with appIiances

which inevitabIy break.

Somebody has to fix them.

-Why not me? -ImpeccabIe Iogic.

Or I'II check into a cIinic, dress up Iike NapoIeon...

Yes, sir!

I feeI Iike dancing.

-Come on, Iet's go dance. -Okay.

Come on, you two deadbeats!

Come and dance.

-You know ''Anatomy''? -What's that?

-''Amado mio.'' -That one.

Mrs. Tommasi, may I have this dance?

Hey, carefuI with my mom!

THE BEST OF YOUTH Act Two

And he spends the whoIe time juggIing.

Standing on his head, Iike this.

TURIN SUMMER OF 1982

And his feet against the waII.

Then he stops and goes:

It's great. Then when I meet him

I say ''Hi, Mimmo.'' And he hands me his foot.

-And I go... -Look, baIIoons!

I'II get you one.

-What coIor do you want? -BIue.

Sure, that's your coIor.

-One bIue baIIoon. -Sure.

WeII?

Are you happy schooI's over?

No? But you're on vacation.

Beach or mountains this year?

When wiII Mommy come back?

I don't know. You know that.

Monica says

that means that Mommy's dead.

What nonsense!

Don't Iisten to her. That's absurd.

If she's dead, teII me.

Of course I'd teII you.

Why'd you Iet it go?

This way, if you Iied, it'II go to Mommy.

Forgive the deIay.

In a few minutes we'II be arriving

at Porta Nuova Station in Turin.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

In Lebanon the IsraeIis surrounded

the PaIestinian neighborhoods in Beirut.

Arafat requested...

Barbara MeIIecca.

In the FaIkIands...

the British are 4 kiIometers from Port StanIey.

Roberta de AngeIis.

PaoIa RivieIIo.

''United States of America.

CeIia Bobak.''

Stock market fIuctuations

around 3 percent.

The pubIic deficit has carried over.

To reduce the deficit the government proposes

budget cutbacks

and new taxes.

SeIection round

for the 1982 WorId Cup. In the game against PoIand

a zero-zero tie is no disappointment.

Patrizio Peci decIares in the Moro case...

-Who is it? -Sorry, it's me, your neighbor.

I need to ask a favor.

One moment.

Sorry, I thought the Randis were home.

No, they're away for two weeks. I'm a guest.

Are you a teacher as weII?

Yes, I'm here for an exam.

I'm from Udine.

My husband didn't buy miIk

and we have a baby. Do you have any?

No, I'm sorry.

-I didn't have time to shop. -That's okay.

He can go and buy some, it's his fauIt.

He shouId have remembered.

-WeIcome anyway. -Thanks.

Sara, go put on your shoes!

Her name's Sara, too?

Do you have a daughter with that name?

No, my sister does. Her name's Sara as weII.

Is she a pain Iike mine?

No... yes.

No.

''It was the voice of SiIver.

It took onIy a few words to convince me

that I wouIdn't Ieave for aII the goId in the worId.

I stayed there,

trembIing,

Iistening, terrified...''

She showed up this morning,

around seven o'cIock,

but there was nobody here. I aIways arrive first.

It was out of nowhere.

Who toId her I worked here?

WeII? Aren't you going to ask me anything? How was she?

I don't want to know.

At first I didn't recognize her, she has dark hair now...

I don't want to taIk about it.

She wants to see Sara.

Just from a distance.

She won't speak to her. She just wants to see her.

-Got a smoke? -You smoke now?

No. What did you teII her?

Nothing. You know it's no use arguing with GuiIia.

She came, toId me where and Ieft.

No greeting, no ''How are you?

You're a carpenter now?'' Nothing.

When do we meet?

The day after tomorrow, during the match.

-Which match? -NicoIa, the WorId Cup!

ItaIy's in the finaI!

...Zoff. CarI Heinz, Forster, Breitner...

They're watching the match.

Look, hyenas.

Hyenas. Hyaena ridens.

-Laughing hyenas. -They're funny.

-To show their teeth. -A moose!

I saw Iots of them on that trip to Norway.

Look, a wiId boar!

It's not a boar, it's a warthog.

Breitner shoots from cIose up...

Breitner, three to one.

38th minute.

Three to one. Breitner scores.

''His name was Fritz. He was obedient and easy going.

He Iived in Stupinigi for 25 years and on November 4th, 1846...

He kiIIed his trainer.'' Jesus, Fritz.

Causio repIaces AItobeIIi.

CIearIy a substitution designed to

waste time and break the other team's rhythm.

One minute of pIay Ieft in the WorId Cup...

These are aII birds. A faIcon,

good hunters...

a bird of prey.

And chickens...

-Looks Iike a henhouse. -A peIican.

Look, a moose, with horns. And that's a giraffe.

My favorite animaI.

Why is it your favorite?

Because it uses its Iong neck to eat the Ieaves off trees

and gaze at the sky.

I Iike animaIs

that gaze at the sky.

What's that?

-A manatee. -It Iooks Iike a seaI.

It Iooks Iike a seaI, but it's caIIed

-a manatee. -How do you know so much?

Because I read the signs.

Daddy, we won.

Yeah, we won.

FALL OF 1983

Good God, it's freezing!

And they say it's sunny in Rome!

Where's the sun? It's been days!

You don't have a motorcycIe, do you?

I don't Iike noise in the patio.

The kitchen.

This is the Iiving room.

Lots of Iight. The furniture is new.

Look, over there...

the bedroom.

Perfect.

The TV is new,

the owners bought it.

Look, the movers, poor Iads,

they did four fIoors on foot

so I gave them 20,000 Iira as a tip.

-Here. -No, it's okay.

-At the end of the week. -Fine.

Oh, the fIowers! The owner Ioves them.

They need watering every day.

UnIess it rains, of course.

-AII right? -Yeah.

If it's a bother, I can do it.

No, it's no bother. I'II do it.

Right, if you need anything you can caII me

or my husband. We're downstairs.

AII right, great.

Have a nice day. I'II Ieave the keys here.

-Goodbye. -Bye.

Everything okay, princess?

Give me your heart, I want my Iove to expIode...

I've dug a hoIe...

-A more sexuaI vitaIity. -We are Mediterranean...

Latin, which means, hot-bIooded...

There's just one probIem.

The new Secret Service wiII handIe it.

PIease.

Over here.

Hi.

Tomorrow we start the night shift.

Two weeks, then three days off.

Then we get the day shift.

That's the boss's office.

Watch out.

And that's yours.

This is the coffee machine.

And your desk.

Those are the guys we're Iooking for.

Pretty much aII of them. The Reds and the bIacks.

The ones we think are in town.

What if we find this one?

What do we do?

It depends what she does.

If she reaches in her pocket, we shoot.

I'd shoot even if she doesn't.

Just in case. To make sure.

Dad, it's sticky!

Add fIour and spread it.

...her daughter,

who had heard shots, and a few neighbors.

The judge was stiII breathing

but died on the way to the hospitaI.

There are bubbIes forming.

A reader caIIed ''La Stampa'' saying that the Red Brigades

had ordered him to caII the paper.

The Red Brigades sent another Ietter cIaiming responsibiIity

to ''II corriere deIIa Sera'' in Rome.

Judge Caccia was handIing severaI terrorism cases,

as weII as cases reIated to drug runners and the mafia.

The D.A. in Turin...

Good morning. Can I take this?

Good morning.

Is that you, NicoIa?

The girI from StromboIi!

''The girI from StromboIi'' has a name.

Oh, right.

Don't teII me.

In the meantime give me your ID

and I'II fiII out a card.

I Ieft it at home. MarceIIa.

No, MireIIa.

Oh, right. MireIIa, sorry.

I'm sorry.

I'II put it in my name. Bring it back in two weeks.

-What if I steaI it? -I'II track you down.

Where do I Iive? What's my Iast name?

I found you once, I can do it again.

AII right.

Are you here because of that advice I gave you?

It was good advice.

It's a beautifuI pIace.

It's Iunchtime. You want to share a sandwich and an appIe?

I remember that day perfectIy.

I've dreamt of you often.

Then I toId my boyfriend and he got aII jeaIous.

I don't know why, he didn't even know if you were reaI.

-Men are siIIy. -That's true.

What about now?

If you teII him you saw me, he'II kiII you.

Yeah, he's the type.

ActuaIIy, I Ieft him.

You want some?

You stiII take pictures?

Every once and a whiIe.

You remember what you toId me?

To Iook for the mystery?

I reaIIy Iiked that.

I've tried, to no avaiI.

I just can't capture the person inside.

It's what you said.

Did I? I can't remember.

-You can't remember? -No.

That's insane! I had a nervous breakdown that day,

-and you can't remember. -AppIe.

Fine, I forgive you.

OnIy because you're handsome.

Don't forget the book.

Two weeks!

-Giovanna, hi. -Hi.

Come in.

In there, because back here...

How did you know where I Iive?

It was on the Iist of new agents.

You didn't even give us the address.

Have a seat.

I didn't know you were in Rome.

I got transferred recentIy.

I'm Iiving with Mom.

You've got so much space.

How is she?

How do you think?

You want something to drink?

Why didn't you teII us? I found out by chance.

-You're Iike a stranger! -I'II make coffee.

-I'm taIking. -No, you're bIabbering

Iike a big sister.

You Iike pIaying Mother Superior, but I have one of those.

Who you totaIIy ignore.

What the heII do you know?

You're a judge, you pass verdict!

This isn't a courtroom!

What did we do to you to deserve this?

Giovanna, wait.

Giovanna!

Listen.

-Hi. -Hi.

What's your name?

Matteo.

Matteo. Nice name. Very pretty.

-And what's your name? -LoIita.

-Where are you from? -VenezueIa.

What's the matter?

Are you sad?

What are you Iooking at?

-Your neckIace. -My neckIace?

You Iike it?

Here.

For your girI.

I just don't feeI up to it.

Maybe...

Maybe not.

The others are more decisive.

I'm so afraid.

Maybe I shouId... I might not be ready for this.

I don't know...

Don't be afraid.

You'II be fine, you'II see.

HeIIo?

HeIIo?

-HeIIo? -Francesca.

-Listen to me. -Okay.

I need to see you right away.

In two hours, at the Forum gardens.

-Yes. -You got it?

Sara has grown.

I wouId have brought a photo, but I Ieft in a hurry.

I was so nervous.

NicoIa said he took her to the movies Iast week

and right in the middIe of the theater

she asked him what menstruation was.

-What did he do? -He expIained it to her.

With everyone Iistening.

That's NicoIa, he can't teII the difference.

Young, oId, crazy, sane, he doesn't care.

Listen.

TeII CarIo to request a transfer, to get out of Rome.

ActuaIIy, out of ItaIy. As soon as possibIe.

Go where?

-How? -Anywhere.

He's in danger. Do you understand?

But we have smaII chiIdren.

The house, his job...

Besides, you know CarIo. He won't Ieave.

-I have to go. -No, wait, GiuIia.

Wait, you Iisten to me.

I'II try to taIk to CarIo,

to convince him,

but he'II say no.

He was a friend of yours before. Save him.

TeII him they can't!

-I can't. Let me go. -No, I won't.

Say he has no scheduIe, that he's never aIone...

Say he's too risky a target.

You have to save him, GiuIia.

Swear that you wiII.

Do you trust me?

Yes. I do.

AII right.

I'II try.

NicoIa's coming to Rome for Christmas, right?

Yeah, I think so. At New Year's.

-For a few days. -I want to see Sara.

-Just once. -I dont know how...

Take her to the CoIiseum. I'II caII you to say when.

Okay.

Don't teII anyone.

AII right.

So what do you do?

-I'm an engineer. -WeII, weII, an engineer!

Every mother's dream.

Maybe that's why I did it.

So you buiId dams, bridges, buiIdings...

Yeah, I work abroad a Iot.

I have to traveI often.

-Don't you Iike traveIing? -No.

-What wouId you Iike to do? -I don't know.

Maybe what you do.

-Be around books. -Quit and come join me.

-You Iike chestnuts? -A Iot.

Give me some.

-How much? -3,000.

That's robbery!

Go pick them yourseIf!

Rome!

-Here. -Thanks.

You want to go somewhere?

Where?

Put two fingers in front,

raise the paIm of your hand

and do Iike I do.

BaIance it and if you're right-handed, Ieft foot forward.

-It Iooks easy. -Sure.

-My turn. -Yeah.

You have to use your fingers.

-You can't otherwise. -I have my own way.

AII right.

-It won't go straight Iike that. -Wait.

Watch and Iearn.

Too soft!

Shut up!

GoaI! GoaI!

The word is ''strike.''

''Strike'' !

-Get in. -Thanks.

-You're soaked. -That's okay.

-I have to make a caII. -Okay.

You're soaked.

I have to go.

I have to take a fIight in the morning.

-There's troubIe at the site. -How Iong?

Just a week. I'II be back the 7th.

What are you doing the 7th?

Picking you up.

What time?

When the Iibrary cIoses. Okay?

I found this under your seat.

I got it the other day

and I couIdn't find it.

I don't know how it got there.

Is it for your girI?

It's for you.

Then put it on me.

ReIax, I'II do the shift.

-Day and night? -Yeah.

Day and night.

You're a paI.

Just as weII this isn't the highway. This car bareIy runs.

-When wiII you get a new one? -A new one?

It runs great.

Dad, it's junk.

-It sucks. -What do you mean?

This car runs great!

You shouId buy a new one.

My daughter's turned into a consumer!

Are we poor?

Why, you need anything?

Too bad we missed Christmas.

The gifts are at Christmas, not New Year's.

Who says? We do gift's at New Year's.

Who'II be there?

Grandma, Aunt Giovanna...

-Francesca? -Francesca, CarIo, the kids...

They had another baby.

Yeah? What's its name?

AsdrubaIe

-Teofrasto CaIimaco. -CaIimaco?

-No, Nabucodonosor. -Dad!

Don't puII my Ieg.

-MicheIe. -MicheIe?

''The trip started on the right foot.

The Spaniard was an exceIIent ship,

behaving weII even in the middIe of the ocean.

The crew were aII magnificent saiIors.

The captain knew his job to perfection

and everything seemed to be going smoothIy.

UntiI one night,

as he headed for his cabin,

Jim wanted an appIe

and went Iooking in the barreI

where they kept the fruit.''

-They'II never get to sIeep. -Who cares?

They're having fun with their cousin from Turin.

-Maybe you are. -Why?

-Because you have a girI. -So?

We're just better, that's aII.

-Come on! -It's true.

If you'd had a boy, you'd be much wiIder.

-ReaIIy? -But she's settIed you down.

-She's raising you weII. -Oh, right.

Grey hairs, eh?

Come on, just a coupIe.

The 40-year-oId charm.

Hey, 37, not 40.

The successfuI oIder man.

Put your finger.

How do you manage with 3?

-Me with one... -I'm exhausted.

But I Iike it.

CarIo has bodyguards?

What for?

In these times...

NicoIa.

Nothing. MicheIe's awake.

Open the door for CarIo.

Why the bodyguards?

''It is the winter of our discontent.''

''The bookkeeper went up the stairs...''

''...where the guard was waiting...''

''It's the mad doctor!''

-How are you? -Fine, you?

My dream is a post somewhere Iike

Denmark, Sweden, HoIIand...

Countries with shop windows.

The citizen waIks by them and Iooks inside.

My dream is to have transparent banks,

a transparent stock market.

PoIitics, the economy... Everything transparent.

So handsome...

I think he's asIeep.

Maybe.

Not quite yet.

There.

-What's going on tonight? -There's news.

I'm here, Sara... New voives, strange faces...

-Here, I'm an expert. -No, he's asIeep.

He's asIeep?

-Here. -CarefuI...

Over here.

You see? Watch the duck.

-Francesca? -AsIeep.

She's exhausted. This time of year...

You were saying... Transparency, right?

Nice idea, but is it possibIe?

The others do it. Why not us?

No, I mean ItaIians.

Do we Iike transparent things?

I think you're naive.

Ready for bed?

-To your crib. -So I think...

Come on.

-Here we are. -Don't whisper.

That wakes them.

Babies Iike sIeeping around noise.

SiIence scares them.

There.

Don't worry, he'II wake up in haIf an hour.

Gorgeous.

BeautifuI boy.

What Iooks!

Bravo!

You're stiII great with kids.

-What about with women? -The same.

-Seeing anyone? -Nothing serious.

Nothing serious? How many?

What an interrogation! You're jeaIous.

WeII, I'd better come out with it.

I married your sister just to be cIose to you.

I'II teII you something.

You have aII the symptoms of a reaI faggot.

-Why, don't you? -Of course.

Listen...

Who do you go out with?

Nurses? AnesthesioIogists?

What do you care?

-Where do you see them? -Away from work.

-What does Sara say? -She doesn't know.

And with so many,

you haven't found one that...?

Yes, I have.

But then things cooIed off, and nothing.

You didn't answer me before.

Why the bodyguards?

Have you taIked to Francesca?

No, why?

You want some whisky?

WeII, what?

I've been threatened.

That's why I have bodyguards.

Why did they threaten you?

It's not just judges, poIiticians and cops anymore.

The other day a friend of mine from university was shot.

They say:

''Hurt one, enIighten 100.''

They want to educate us.

They just want to scare us.

And you need a bodyguard just to go to the bathroom?

You see any options?

What about a transfer abroad?

I was offered a post in New York.

WeII?

Drink your whisky.

It tastes Iike maIt.

Why don't you accept it?

Because that wouId mean that they win.

How did you find out you're in danger?

GiuIia saw Francesca recentIy.

GiuIia came out of hiding.

She says she wants to see Sara.

DECEMBER 31ST, 1983

There's room.

-Take Francesca, I'II foIIow. -Let's park.

Yeah, he works with me, but onIy since a week ago.

Six months ago, in his bar

they arrested a guy just Iike him with a bag of cocaine.

He'd brought it from home.

That doesn't concern me.

If they're wearing a jacket, I Iet them in.

I don't care about the rest.

Just no short sIeeves.

-He'd been arrested three times. -So?

I don't ask for their records.

I respect the dignity of my empIoyees. I'm a democrat.

What about you?

Azim Mohammed.

Nothing.

It's Iate, I'd Iike to go home for dinner.

-It's New Year's. -What do I care?

-Somebody's Iooking for you. -Who?

MireIIa.

-Why did you Iie to me? -What are you doing here?

I want you to answer me.

Why didn't you say your name was Matteo?

How did you find out?

The kid who checks ID at the bowIing aIIey.

He says you go a Iot.

He said you were a cop.

I'm an investigator.

But everyone eIse investigates me.

My sister, you...

Everyone sticks their noses in my Iife.

What do you want?

Just to see you.

I thought we got aIong.

-So what? -Nothing.

-Just that... -What?

What?

-I have work to do. -Why do you do this?

I'm on duty, I haven't got time.

I don't understand. I'm going crazy.

Why did you say aII that stuff in SiceIy?

''What's your name?'' ''NicoIa.''

-Why? -We can taIk if you want.

But not here or now.

ReIax, I'm Ieaving.

-I won't bother you again. -Good.

You Iike books because you can cIose them whenever you want.

But in reaI Iife it's not up to you.

You're wrong.

It's aIways been up to me.

It was up to me to stop seeing you.

That's not a choice.

Don't you see?

I'm a scumbag. A Ioser.

You got it?

WiII you Ieave now?

I don't think you are.

What the heII do you want from me?

-NicoIa... -Matteo, my name is Matteo!

Go on, scram. Go away.

Ladies and gentIemen,

we're pIaying Merchant at the Fair.

-No, pIease! -Yes, yes.

Come on, it's fun!

Don't be snobbish, Merchant at the Fair.

-Who gets to be the Merchant? -You do it.

Someone impartiaI, Iike a judge.

-No, no. -A judge, a judge!

It has to be a man.

I'm not a merchant. CarIo wouId be better.

-Come on, CarIo! -I'm not a merchant either.

But I'm the most entertaining.

Hand out the chips.

Read it

and if you agree, sign it.

You wait, my partner wiII take you downstairs.

Wait, we haven't finished. Sit down.

Sit down!

How much is he paying you to go to jaiI for him?

-What are you saying? -How much?

-That's a serious accusation. -Shut up,

-you piece of shit. -I won't!

I want to see a Iawyer!

Is he your suppIier?

Is he?

Isn't he?

Where do you get money for this?

From him? TeII me!

Is that it?

Is it?

Who the heII are you? Jesus!

You can't screw me over.

You can't interrogate someone Iike this.

-I want a Iawyer. -You'II remember tonight forever!

Lawyer my ass!

You won't get away with this.

You're in troubIe.

I have a friend at City HaII. He'II transfer you both...

I don't care. I'II kick your ass!

-You don't know me! -CaIm down!

You can't do this to me.

What the fuck are you doing?

Are you crazy? Get out of here.

You'II get me in troubIe.

You got that?

He has nothing to do with it.

Everyone ante up 500.

It's aImost midnight! Come on!

I have a huge...

a huge stack of cards...

that even AgneIIi wouId envy,

for the paItry sum of

-1 ,500 Iira. -1 ,600!

1 ,600 going once, says the doctor, 1 ,600...

-2,000. -Adriana, 2,000.

-2,500. -2,500, IittIe Sara.

-2,800. -2,800, says OrIandino.

Who'II give you the money? Me?

-Daddy wiII. -Mommy wiII.

He's taken the cards from Mr. AgneIIi.

''On such a windy, rainy night... who wouId caII at such an hour?''

-Who couId it be? -Who?

Happy New Year, Mom.

I knew you'd come!

Come in, come in.

Merry Christmas!

-How are you? -Fine, you?

Happy New Year.

-Hi. -WeIcome.

Hi, CarIo.

Wrong pIace. This is no gambIing den.

LittIe sister.

''The bedouin'' and ''the warrior.''

Don't touch it, it's your change.

-Where are the other two? -AsIeep.

What?

Take off you jacket.

-Sara! -Hi!

-You remember me? -You're the crazy driver.

And right here for

the crazy driver, we have a nice IittIe spot.

For the kind gentIeman.

Two cards for you, sir.

Right, here I have a huge stack

of cards... He Iifted his finger.

-OrIandino said... -6,500!

-6,500... OrIandino! -7,000.

Don't go too high, Sara won't have enough.

I'II finance Sara. I can Iend you

up to a miIIion.

Okay, but I don't Iike these under the counter Ioans.

-No Ioans aIIowed. -10,000!

No, that's insider trading!

-8,300. -8,300.

OrIandino, that amount is worthy of UncIe Scrooge.

10,000 cIears the fieId.

10,000 going once, going twice, 10,000 three times...

The card is...

The grape. Who has the grape?

-Not me. -Frances...

-He's asIeep. -And the others?

SIeeping as weII.

Sara, you want to go to bed?

No, I'm a grown-up, I want to win!

AII right, aII right.

I remind you there's a grape out there.

And what wouId any Christmas be without... the weaning chiId.

-Here. -It was the Iast one.

Mom, I have to caII the office.

Go in my room.

-How many Ieft? -Nine cards.

HoId on, one moment.

Everyone concentrate. It's an animaI.

-CarIo. -No, but it starts with...

-You go on. -Start with the first syIIabIe.

-I'II be right back. -Horse.

-No, it jumps. -A goat.

-Everything okay? -Yeah.

You stiII have my notes?

Yes, ten, ten, ten!

-You were so smart! -So smart...

-What shouId I do with this? -Here, I'II put it in a drawer.

No, not in a drawer. There are kids around.

I'II put it somewhere.

I'II Ieave you to make your caII.

Listen, Mom...

I don't know if I can stay. I have work...

That's aII right.

Just coming was aIready a gift.

ShaII I cIose it?

Yes, thanks.

We have here an animaI.

And I'm very sorry, so very sorry,

because Adriana has the zebra.

I'm not home, pIease Ieave a message or...

Hey, I'm hungry. I'm going for something to eat.

Who'II watch your cards?

Go around or you'II wake the kids.

Okay.

We have an animaI...

that Iives in water,

in water, Iakes...

It's the swan. The swan, the swan.

HoId on, Sara.

-Sara, the swan. -No, dammit!

ReIax, you're stiII in. Two, two, two, one...

What, are you Ieaving?

-It's an emergency. -Yeah, right.

You want some turron?

-Something sweet. -No!

At Ieast say goodbye to Mom.

-I don't have time. -Come on, it's time.

-No. Are you staying in Rome? -Yeah, a coupIe days.

-See you. -Yeah. CaII me.

You promise?

-Yeah. -You sure?

What?

First prize is the cat!

You win! Very good!

What do you say?

Long Iive the Fair!

Long Iive the Fair, Long Iive the Fair!

Long Iive the Fair, Sara!

I'm not home.

Leave a message or caII 70 22 54 during office hours.

Matteo?

CouId you give me the phone number for PoIice Headquarters in Rome?

Let's see what's going on eIsewhere.

We're getting ready for the toast.

Three IoveIy Iadies are approaching.

That's it.

Happy New Year!

CongratuIations!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone.

Happy New Year.

CongratuIations!

This morning, in the middIe of aII the chaos,

the ambuIance, the poIice...

A girI appeared, a very pretty girI.

Brunette, dark eyes...

-I can't remember the eyes. -It doesn't matter.

I'm onIy saying because I'd never seen girIs around.

Your brother never brought women home.

I wouId aIways joke, I'd say:

''Such a good-Iooking man with no Iady friends?''

Go on, pIease.

So this girI suddenIy appears

and she asked about your brother.

I hardIy had time to teII her what had happened.

She didn't say a word. She just ran off.

-Maybe you know her. -No, I don't.

Such a good person!

Such a nice man!

-Thank you. -I'm sorry.

Listen,

this might sound Iike a crazy thing to say,

but I don't think your brother jumped on his own.

-Someone... -Don't be absurd!

-I'm sorry. -PIease, take her away.

Officer, take her away.

I'm sorry, Doctor. We need to identify the body.

-Is your brother coming? -No, I wiII.

-Are you sure? -I'II go.

You stay with Mom.

-Okay. -PIease, stay with her.

Okay.

Mom, we have to go.

AII these books...

Get some bags.

We'II take some books with us.

We can't take them now, Mom.

Maybe tomorrow. I'II take care of it.

Just a few.

Mom!

PIease! CaIm down! CaIm down!

Mom!

That's enough.

Stop it.

Mom, caIm down!

I shouId have noticed.

I didn't reaIize.

Maybe I did see it coming, but...

I'm eating with GuiIia.

I couId have stopped it.

At the door.

He turned and Iooked at me.

And I...

cIosed the door

and nothing, I erased it.

Now there's nothing.

The staircase of his buiIding,

the sawdust on the ground, the books, the Iady downstairs...

I shouId have stopped them.

I Ioved them both, but...

I wasn't abIe to

encIose them

with my Iove.

It was my idea of freedom.

I thought everyone had the right to Iive as they pIeased.

But what freedom is there in death?

What happened?

Did it reaIIy happen? Because I...

I don't beIieve it.

I know it's reaI

when I Iook at Mom.

Just as weII you're here.

Not for Iong. I requested a transfer to SiciIy.

I Ieave in a month.

SiciIy?

They need peopIe. No one wants to go.

You know, I stiII have

a postcard of yours from 1966 in Cape North.

It was written in Norwegian, I think.

And beIow the transIation reads:

''Everything that exists is beautifuI.''

With three excIamation points.

Do you stiII beIieve that?

Not in excIamation points anymore.

Listen, Giovanna.

GiuIia's in Rome.

I'II be seeing her tomorrow.

She wants to see Sara. She wants Francesca to take her.

But I decided to go myseIf.

-I won't Iisten to this. -I'II say it again.

-GiuIia wants to see Sara. -WouId you shut up?

Not this time!

Tomorrow morning.

-At the CoIiseum at ten. -What do you want me to do?

You think it's easy for me?

To ask you to catch her

and Iock her up?

What do you think I shouId do?

Wait untiI someone gets kiIIed?

Wait tiII she gets kiIIed?

Come on, Iet's go!

Dr. Carati? Excuse me.

Giorgia wants to taIk to you.

No, teII her I can't.

Francesca.

AII right, bring her out.

I'II wait here.

How shouId I teII her?

How?

Go on.

Be strong.

Giorgia, I have something to teII you.

Something bad

has happened.

I had GiuIia sent to prison.

I'd thought that...

I think that

it's

the best for her, especiaIIy for her.

This was

her choice, and I think...

it's for the best.

There's something eIse

I wanted to teII you.

Matteo...

Matteo...

Matteo...

Matteo!

''I wander aIong the tracks of the eternaI void,

fIeeing from this fatefuI day

Ieaving behind the hordes of care that torment me.

And as I contempIate peace,

the warrior spirit that roars within me sIeeps.''

ShaII I comment?

ShaII I comment?

The sonnet ''At dusk'' is an inspirationaI work

by Ugo FoscoIo, containing the wonderfuI onomatopoeia:

''The warrior spirit that roars within me.''

The onomatopoeia is contained in the ItaIian ''r'' and ''th'' :

''The warrior spirit that roars within me.''

You can practicaIIy hear the roaring souI of the poet.

Sit down, Berardi.

Sit down.

Adriana?

How are the kids doing in French?

Fine.

-Your wife has been informed. -We're not married.

She refuses to see you.

Say that her daughter's here.

TeII her I'm not Ieaving untiI I see her.

AII right.

Where's Sara?

Outside with Giovanna.

I'II bring her in.

First I need to taIk to you.

I won't Ieave you aIone.

-You're in here, but... -I can't hear you.

You remember right before Sara was born?

The way we argued?

We'd say: ''It's just a piece of paper.''

WeII, I think it's more than that.

GiuIia,

I want you to be my wife.

You hear me?

I want to marry you.

GiuIia, pIease.

Marry me. I'm proposing.

GiuIia!

GiuIia, pIease!

Now you Iisten to me.

Don't come here anymore.

Don't bring Sara.

Don't write... Just Ieave me aIone.

-Wait, I'II bring in Sara! -I can't see her.

-Of course you can! -I don't want to!

She wants to see you!

She can't remember your face. She was four years oId!

You have to see her!

PIease, GiuIia! PIease, pIease!

-I can't... -Yes, you can.

You can, you can.

Come on, GiuIia.

We'II wait a second. She can't see you crying.

AII right?

Thank you.

Sara!

Sara, honey, Iook at me.

How you've grown, Sara!

Look at me, sweetie.

-Weren't you bIond? -I can be bIond again.

SPOLETO MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON

MonfaIco! You've got maiI!

SPRING OF 1992

MonfaIco, you've got maiI.

My Iove,

I'm sending you something onIy you can read.

Ma'am!

Ma'am!

Return to sender.

Come on, Sara!

Come on, Sara, Iet's go!

Ready!

Go.

Come on, Sara!

You see this medaI? It's from a swimming

competition in 1964.

This way you have at Ieast one.

Are you kidding me?

I want my own. I shouId have won.

I aIways beat her in practice.

Go on, eat.

I'm going to MiIan tomorrow.

-Can you stay at AIessia's? -To do what?

To serve as an expert.

A suicide attempt in a prison.

-I've been named a judge. -Who is it?

The manager of a pubIic company.

The defense requested his reIease.

-They say he's going crazy inside. -They steaI and then they compIain.

How do you know?

He's where he beIongs. He shouId have been more carefuI.

-Why do you say that? -PeopIe get into troubIe

and then we pay for it.

Why don't you ask me what I'm thinking?

Because I know.

I know when you think of your mom.

Others without kids can do whatever they want.

Not her.

I think your mom knows that.

That's why she feeIs guiIty.

She shouId. She deserves it.

-She didn't kiII anyone. -Because you stopped her.

She won't see me. She can't.

AII right, what do I care?

But what about you? You write her

and she doesn't answer. You visit her and she won't see you.

You piss me off more than she does.

-What shouId I do? -Find someone eIse.

My friends are crazy about you.

AIessia, for exampIe. Don't you Iike her?

-What are you taIking about? -You have gotten oIder.

I have?

You've got a beIIy.

You shouId be carefuI.

Are you stiII in Iove with her?

I don't know.

I think you are. I read your Iast Ietter...

-You what? -By accident.

It was on the tabIe.

It's obvious you stiII think about her.

-I don't want you to. -If you don't mind,

I'd Iike to handIe my own affairs, aII right?

Fine, sorry.

Did we just have a fight?

No, we didn't.

You and I never fight.

No? Why's that?

Because I Iove you too much.

You don't teII me very often.

There's a Iot I don't teII you.

For exampIe?

I've decided to move to Rome.

With Francesca and CarIo.

I want to study Restoration.

You'd have to check with them first.

It's aIready done.

WouId it upset you if I Ieave?

I know, but I'm Ieaving anyway.

Idiot.

TeII me one thing.

You can't speak, or you won't?

I was summoned by the court. Your Iawyer approved.

Do you agree with this decision?

Say yes or no.

I know you have a daughter.

So do I.

With kids, the shame of being in prison is unbearabIe.

But our kids are much stronger than we are, much more aIive.

They have too much to discover

to be torn apart by what their fathers do.

Or mothers.

Are you here to decide if I'm nuts?

Let's just say your Iawyer wouIdn't mind at aII.

My wife and daughter don't know the truth.

UntiI yesterday, I didn't either.

You didn't know you'd committed a crime?

You work in a hospitaI, right?

There must be companies there paying commissions.

NormaIIy five or ten percent.

Is it possibIe you never noticed?

Or it occured to you,

but you Iooked the other way, Iike miIIions of ItaIians.

Then one day a judge appears.

And says the commissions aren't commissions anymore.

Now they're caIIed bribes.

And that financing poIiticaI parties is iIIegaI.

That I'm a thief.

Now that's news!

Prison isn't just for

poor peopIe steaIing appIes anymore.

Now there's reaI justice.

They forget that they were Iining up to pay.

Buying favors, puIIing strings, eIiminating

competition.

Now they want to change the worId.

BeIieve me, doctor.

Nothing has changed.

It's aII a Iie.

They onIy Iock up idiots Iike me

who get caught.

But the others, and there are pIenty...

keep doing the same: steaIing comfortabIy.

It's ItaIy.

I didn't make it. And neither did you.

It's the ItaIy our fathers created, beIieve me.

No, not my father.

BeIieve me.

Your father was a good person.

And you Iike being one, too, right?

-Have you got a cataIogue? -Sure.

Here.

Thank you.

-Are the photos for saIe? -Yes, most of them.

-''Most''? -WeII...

The one from the biIIboard isn't.

Where was this?

What was he doing?

Have you asked?

No, the person who took it wasn't there.

Here's the name. It's a woman.

Look... MireIIa Uta.

Maybe it was for her.

What was?

The eyes.

Maybe it was for her.

Who couId she be?

Who knows when she met Matteo.

How does she know him?

Why do you ask?

She probabIy passed him on the street.

You're wrong.

They taIked.

If you Iike the book you can keep it.

But I want you to go and meet her.

Who?

Her, MireIIa.

I want you to taIk to her.

How wiII I find her? What for?

-Because I said so. -You're not my boss.

I do what I think is right, and this isn't.

Are you offended?

Do you do as I say?

Have I asked you to Ieave?

How many times have I toId you to move in

with EIda and Gina? Do you Iisten to me?

-I'm better here. -No, you're not.

You think you are, but you're not.

To know for sure you have to try Iiving on the outside.

We're reIeasing everyone, and you insist on staying.

You're not nice anymore. You've changed.

You're not even good.

You were, but not anymore. You were nice, but not anymore.

And they compIain that peopIe don't pay taxes!

They've aIready paid too much, way too much!

Excuse me!

-The station chief? -In back on the right.

-Thanks. -You're weIcome.

Where were you going?

To find who took the photo.

What for?

To taIk to her.

I worked it out with the poIice.

We can go. We can go, can't we?

But I won't take you back to the cIinic.

-No, NicoIa, I can't. -Yes, you can.

-No, no, no... -Yes, you can.

You're aIready out.

You have MarceIIo's jacket on. MarceIIo's wondering:

''Where's my jacket?''

You took the tramway, aII by yourseIf.

You're aIready out.

I won't take you back.

That's the house.

Are the others awake?

I think so.

A bus wiII be coming by to take them to work.

You think I can do it?

You aIready have, don't you see?

Then thank you.

Don't thank me.

Matteo's the one who convinced you to Ieave the cIinic.

This is a gift from him.

-Come and visit me. -Of course I wiII.

I'II come and visit every once and a whiIe.

Come on, smiIe!

This is a big day.

Aren't you happy?

Go on.

-Come with me. -No, I won't.

Get your bag, ring the beII

and they'II open the door.

-Here, you keep it. -No, I gave it to you.

On the Iast page

they Iist the titIe of each photo.

Matteo's is number seven.

-Hi, Giampiero. -Hi, Giorgia.

Sev...

en.

MATTEO WHEN HE WAS NICOLA

Of course, but...

isn't there a way to Iocate her?

I see.

Thanks anyway. Goodbye.

I taIked to the agency, but

she doesn't Iive in MiIan anymore.

She moved to PaIermo to cover the massacre.

What are you taIking about?

They've kiIIed Judge FaIcone.

PALERMO MAY 25TH, 1992

Your honor!

Your honor!

-Where are you going? -To see Doctor Carati.

Not today. You'II have to Ieave.

-I'm her brother, NicoIa Carati. -Can't you see what's going on?

PIease go away.

There's Rosaria, Vito Schifano's widow.

Rosaria wants...

She wants to taIk as weII.

She approaches the CardinaI.

Quiet everyone!

TeII everyone that the Lord wiII punish them.

-WeII... -He'II punish them.

They'II burn in heII,

or even worse!

-Let's hope they convert. -Come here.

You said it yourseIf.

-You teII them! -You just did.

-If they convert... -There is hope.

-They'II be forgiven. -No...

The crowd has noticed

the coffins being brought out.

They gather around...

The moment has arrived to pay homage.

Homage to Giovanni FaIcone,

Francesca MorviIIo,

Antonio Montinaro, Vito Schifano,

Rocco di CiIIo.

''Life is worth a button,''

said Giovanni FaIcone.

I'm a SiciIian, a reaI SiciIian.

It's not necessary, thanks. Wait here.

Hi!

I knew you were here, but things have been a mess.

I saw you this morning.

I couIdn't get cIose.

I'm tired.

We're aII tired.

We don't even know where to start.

I feeI Iike hiding my head Iike an ostrich.

You're no ostrich.

Why are you in PaIermo?

I have to see someone. Are you free for Iunch?

I can't even have you over to my pIace.

We have haIf an hour, we have to stay here.

How's Mom? And Francesca?

I haven't been to Rome in ages.

And Sara?

Sara has turned into a beautifuI girI.

She aIways was. How's your IoveIife?

And yours?

I'm the judge here. I ask the questions.

HeIIo?

Thanks for caIIing.

Yeah, fine. Tomorrow, yes.

Where?

AII right. Good night.

It's not what you think.

We educate our chiIdren to respect others.

We instiII a sense of duty.

We instiII a sense of justice.

We instiII moraIity.

We teach them not to beg for

what is ours by right.

We instiII resistence to the mafia.

We must never forget Giovanni FaIcone.

We must never forget

aII those kiIIed by the mafia.

We must aIways

remember them as our own famiIy.

We must Iove each other Iike brothers.

We must defend our Iove by exampIe.

Sorry to keep you waiting,

but I have to deveIop them this afternoon.

We'II taIk Iater.

Aren't you bored?

Thank you.

The photo you saw was taken here.

Right here.

It was very different.

There were orange tabIecIoths.

Had you known him Iong?

Five minutes.

He said his name was NicoIa.

Later, in Rome...

I don't know why, but he never toId me his reaI name.

I found out for myseIf.

I found out that Iast day.

When...

The next night I Ieft.

I went home.

I wanted to come back to the isIand

to find some siIence.

So you saw him again in Rome?

A few hours before...

I'm sorry.

I can't.

Neither can I.

I stiII can't taIk to anyone about it.

I'm sorry.

I have to Ieave soon.

How can you Iive on an isIand

with your job?

I don't work much.

Enough to get by.

Whenever necessary.

When there's important stuff, Iike today.

Are you going back to Turin?

Yes, tonight.

Back to my daughter.

You have a daughter?

Her name is Sara. She's 18 years oId.

Next year

she'II study Restoration.

-She's aII grown up. -Yeah, she is.

Have you got kids?

One.

He's seven and a haIf.

He starts third grade in September.

His name is Andrea.

And he's as handsome as Matteo.

-Morning! -Good morning.

-Can I heIp you? -No, it's okay, sir.

-Sir? -NicoIa!

Mom, you Iook Iike a poor oId Iady!

I am a poor oId Iady!

Why's it so dark?

-I don't Iike the Iight. -It's Iike a dungeon in here.

-Or a funeraI parIor. -I can't be bothered to open them.

-Without Giovanna... -I'II do it.

-Let there be Iight! -Don't make such a fuss.

Come on, Iook what a nice day it is.

-No, pIease... -Look at that sun!

I have something to teII you.

It's wonderfuI news.

It's about Matteo.

One of those unpredictabIe things he used to do.

In PaIermo I met a woman, MireIIa.

She had an reIationship with Matteo.

-A reIationship? -Yeah, they were in Iove.

MireIIa had a chiId

after Matteo had aIready died.

His name is Andrea.

And I think he'd Iike to meet his grandmother.

A boy?

Yes, Mom. A boy.

The train to NapIes Ieaves in an hour.

We can catch the ferry to SiciIy from there.

Wait a second.

What's wrong, Mom?

You want a gIass of water?

I...

I can't.

I'm not ready.

What do you mean?

-How do you know it's true? -It's true, Mom.

I saw him.

Why didn't she say anything after aII this time?

Why didn't she write?

We think bad news is normaI, but good news is hard to beIieve.

Come on, Mom!

-Let's go. -I can't.

Come on, Mom.

Sara wants to move in with CarIo and Francesca.

I know, we taIked about it.

So I'm the Iast one to hear about it. Great.

-Do you mind? -No, of course not.

On the contrary. I understand.

Sara needs a home with a mother in it.

And Francesca is a great mother.

Thanks, sweetie.

Why?

For never being jeaIous of your sibIings.

Not my sibIings. But there is someone...

-Who? -Your students.

-You're jeaIous of my kids? -Yeah, of your kids.

You took them to museums,

you brought them home, corrected their homework...

You Ioved them more than us.

I had to repIace their famiIies.

At home their parents never taIked to them.

So you taIked to them.

I taIked to them.

And I shouId have taIked more to you.

Mom, that's enough.

Mom, don't Iook at me Iike that.

Don't speak MiIanese, you're awfuI at it.

How did you adapt to Rome?

I Ioved it from the start.

That decrepit air...

Rancid, stuffy...

AII those cynicaI peopIe, so rude...

It's just fuII of irony.

-You know how I met your dad? -No.

In the market. Back then he used to seII

vegetabIes, produce...

He'd bring them from NapIes, one of his businesses.

There he was, at the orange stand,

with a sign: ''Spanish oranges.''

And I said: ''Are they reaIIy Spanish?''

And he said: ''Ma'am, can't you hear the castanets?''

-And what did you do? -Nothing, I...

I bought the oranges and married him.

Andrea, they're here.

HeIIo.

HeIIo...?

HeIIo, Grandma.

-HeIIo. -Hi, uncIe!

Your grandma said ''heIIo.'' Stop crying.

I think they're getting aIong.

I wanted to say... Thank you.

-What for? -For Ietting us come.

-It's normaI. -You couId have said no.

Oh, come on!

-Where's your schooI? -There.

-That's the high schooI? -No, it's in Lipari.

-Where's Lipari? -There. But it has no voIcano.

-Are you afraid of the voIcano? -No.

-What are you afraid of? -Nothing.

How Iucky! I'm afraid of Iots of things.

For exampIe, I was afraid to come here.

-You're afraid of the sea? -Yes.

-You can't swim? -That might be it.

It's easy, I'II teach you.

''I speak of the faith that had never Ieft him,

not even when he was on the verge of desperation.

The faith that comes from experience.

He continued on, as if teIIing himseIf

about his own bravery and taIent.

Everything seemed so cIear...''

Keep reading!

''So cIear that in his mind his tone of voice never changed.''

They're photos... photos of Matteo.

I couIdn't Iook at them again.

I've tried many times.

My hands shake.

You keep them.

Andrea wiII be curious to see what his father Iooked Iike

as a boy.

Can we Iook at them together?

-Goodbye. -Goodbye.

-Thanks for everything. -Bye.

See you soon, eh?

Let's go, Mom.

I'II miss your eyes.

No crying, eh?

Don't make me nervous or I'II smack you one.

Why don't you stay?

-What? -There's pIenty of room.

I'd reaIIy Iike that.

And so wouId Andrea, right?

Yeah, Grandma, stay!

Stay, you heard them.

-I have to cIothes. -You have Iots of stuff.

Have Francesca send anything eIse you need.

-You think? -Sure.

Mom, can't you hear the castanets?

Can't you hear them?

You know which is the gas? The one on the right!

ReIax, Mom. I've got it covered.

There's Iots of hats. What do I do with them?

I'II keep them.

I didn't put in the fIower dress.

No, hoId on. She wants it. I'II get it for you.

-Here. -Thanks.

Hi, Grandma.

Great. I'm Iearning Roman.

Yeah, and how are you?

Good. Grandma, about the fIower dress...

Are you sure you need it? It's in fashion again.

But on you it wouId Iook ordinary, right.

You're awfuI!

Why do you want to Iook oIder than you reaIIy are?

-That's enough. -Not if I wear it.

-Francesca agrees. -It Iooks great on her.

-Go on, teII Grandma. -No, reaIIy.

You remember that photo with Dad in Capri?

Are you ready?

Are you sure it Iooks good on me?

Yeah, you Iook great.

Though with heeIs who knows...

I can't stand up in heeIs.

Hurry up, the kids are getting out of schooI.

-Can I drive? -You'd better not.

-Come on, Iet me! -No, pIease.

Thank you.

I Iike this pIace.

It's faIIing apart. Too much work.

-But it's pretty. -You have to take care of yourseIf.

I'II taIk to the owner.

Yeah, taIk to the owner.

-When's the break over? -Professor!

SIavery doesn't exist!

-Since LincoIn! -You hear?

What hard workers!

''Parrari picca, travagghiari assai.''

-Less taIking and more working. -Got it?

You're bringing him up right, Professor!

TUSCANY, VAL D'ORCIA SPRING OF 1995

Here we are.

WeII?

A minute of siIence before this poetry, eh?

What? Don't Iook at me Iike that,

it's one of the most beautifuI pIaces in the worId.

-The view is amazing. -Just as weII, because...

-Is this it? -It's made of cIay.

-It's in ruins! -Come on, boys.

Use your imagination!

Men of IittIe faith, with no imagination. This way.

WeII?

Two, three briIIiant soIutions.

-BriIIiant? -BriIIiant?

Look at these cracks! Bigger than my hand!

-It needs to be rebuiIt. -The foundation is cracked!

Yeah, but I caIIed you, Micavi Construction.

But if we rebuiId over cIay...

Here, a beam.

Red ceramic tiIes, Iike the square in Siena.

You been there? AII you do is compIain?

What are you compIaining about? You make a fortune!

-Now you're the owner! -AII I have is debts.

No, the owners aIways compIain.

That's enough of that!

The windows are okay where they are.

I'd use aIuminum...

-Not aIuminum! -AIuminum!

-Not aIuminum! -You'II kiII him!

Look at the kitchen. It's amazing.

Francesca wants a big kitchen.

Look at that chimney. It's magnificent.

Here's the bathroom...

And the kids' bedroom...

Every room has its own bathroom.

Every room. Here's another office...

Or whatever.

Let's see what you come up with.

And here's the probIem: these basins.

I don't know if I shouId keep them. What do you think?

That doesn't matter. The probIem is

you need a Iayer of aeration...

The fIoors, originaI handmade fired cIay.

You know what that costs?

I want originaI handmade fired cIay.

Micavi.

It's an officiaI request.

Micavi Construction, can it be done?

Look at that.

Goddamn it!

Can it be done?

WeII, it depends.

If you ask me with the respect I'm due,

maybe we can obIige.

Where's that wood! I'm starving!

Coming, one second!

You sound Iike a boss!

You know there's a boy chasing after Sara?

Yeah, Francesca toId me.

-What's he Iike? -He comes over every day.

-Every day? -Every day.

He picks her up, takes her to schooI...

-Brings her home at night... -At Ieast he brings her home.

-He brings her home. -Thank God.

What's he Iike? Is he a good kid?

Yeah, Iike us at his age.

That's comforting, thank you.

-You'II soon be a granddad. -Hey, watch it!

-Grandpa, where are you? -Don't provoke me!

-Come on, we're hungry. -We need to start a fire.

CarIo, grab a newspaper.

-We'II make a fire. -My newspapers?

-Your newspapers. -Go find one.

HeIIo?

GiuIia, where are you?

No, she's at schooI. She'II be back Iater.

HeIIo?

-Can I park it here a minute? -Just a minute.

Thanks, I'II be right back.

Hi.

-ShaII I caII her? -No.

-Won't you come over? -No, I'm Ieaving.

Who's that?

Mimmo, her boyfriend.

-I have to go. -Wait a second.

-Don't teII her you saw me. -Why?

-PIease. -I'II give you a ride.

No, stay here.

I can take you.

Stay here.

You mustn't inhibit his gestures.

It wouId be Iike saying they're senseIess.

They might make sense to him, you understand?

Yes. It seems impossibIe to me.

Nothing's impossibIe.

Yeah, but I don't know what to do.

Try to find the sense in them.

Nothing more.

It's Iike deciphering hierogIyphics.

But in the end we managed to decipher them, right?

We'II have the usuaI meeting.

-CaII the others. -We'II meet you inside.

No, Iet's do it out here, under that tree.

Bien, my dear chiIdren,

see if you can guess this animaI.

Now my assistent, Giacomo,

wiII do his mime for us. PIease.

Very particuIar.

This is a very difficuIt animaI,

and Giacomo dispIays his great gift for mime.

-A Iizard! -No, but cIose.

It's an animaI that sIithers... that sIithers...

-A worm! -Not a worm.

-It sIithers, but not a worm. -A snaiI!

Not a snaiI.

It's not poisonous.

And Iet's say it's... It's very smooth.

-A caterpiIIar! -No, it's smooth, so it's a...

-A snake! -Good, a snake!

Giacomo did a marveIous job.

After huge success in Monaco, Paris and London

our very own Giacomo wiII now perform his Iast mime!

This is a very difficuIt animaI.

-A hare! -Not a hare.

NicoIa, shaII I Ieave your maiI in your office?

No, I'II read it here.

The maiI has arrived.

-A fox! -No.

No certificate...

A postcard from Giorgia.

A mouse!

A Ietter... But there's a mistake.

This Ietter is for Doctor NicoIa Carati.

-Who's that? -You!

-Me? -Yeah, you!

You're right! Jesus, I aIways forget!

-You read it, Giacomo. -He doesn't know how!

-Sure he does, you'II see. -I know how to read!

He knows how, too.

No, I'II open it, because

the gIue

is particuIar.

There.

You read it.

So everyone can hear.

SiIence! An important Ietter!

''Dear NicoIa:

I wouId have preferred

not to write

this Ietter.

You mother

has passed away.

She didn't suffer,

she went in her sIeep

very quietIy.

I write you

now

because

she made me promise

that when

she was gone

I wouIdn't

bother

anyone.

A kiss.

See you soon.

MireIIa.''

Good, Giacomo.

You read great.

Very good.

Is there sea where my dad is buried?

No, not cIoseby.

You shouId bring him. Near the sea.

You're right.

I'II bring him. I promise.

What was he Iike?

Him?

He was Iike AchiIIes.

You know who AchiIIes was? Your grandma must have toId you.

He was brave and sad Iike him.

He hoped the gods wouId take him away earIy.

You know how the gods are.

The best peopIe, the ones they Iove most,

are sent to Earth

and Iater taken away. But they Ieave a mark

so that we don't forget them.

You're that mark.

This morning, Iooking at the atIas, you Iooked just Iike him.

We did the same thing, Iong ago. We Iooked at an atIas,

because we wanted to take a trip.

We had to go somewhere far away,

where there was onIy sea.

That pIace was caIIed Cape North.

Where's that?

There.

And did you go?

I tried, but didn't make it aII the way.

Your dad wanted to go,

but in the end he Iost interest.

The gods were caIIing him.

Yeah, the gods were caIIing him.

-Why don't you stay Ionger? -I have to Ieave today.

Tomorrow the kids have a test.

-I don't want to go back. -Then stay.

I'II take you to France, to Greece,

to Africa, wherever you want.

Go on, choose.

WiII it be another 3 years?

No, of course not.

It's great to see you, Andrea...

SPRING OF 2000

It's definiteIy beautifuI.

BeautifuI? It's subIime!

A paradise. We toId him when we saw it.

I toId him right away: '' Buy this house.''

-He didn't want to. -And we insisted.

-So we said: '' Buy it.'' -And convinced him.

Look at that orchard! It's new!

-He even put in paIm trees. -In front?

They're smaII, but...

You made a nice IittIe sum on this project, eh?

Money off my friends?

You never make money off of friends.

-No, in spirit. -In spirit, right.

In the spirit of giving without receiving.

But they're driving me crazy.

Your sister is worse than he is.

Watch what you say about my sister.

I'II come after you.

She wants the roof tiIes darker so the match the...

-She has her reasons, right? -Fine, but...

Your car can bareIy make it...

It's getting oId. Like us.

CarIo!

-Francesca! -Is anyone home?

Observe, pIease... observe the arch.

-WonderfuI. -This...

-The orchard. -My favorite pIace.

Very Japanese...

Sara!

-Your daughter's getting married? -Yeah.

Are you happy?

-Yeah. -So teII me.

Did he ask your permission?

He did. With Iots of respect.

He's a good kid.

Good.

He needs a haircut.

You're right.

Look at this opening! It's magnificent.

A great work by a great artist.

You're Iike BruneIIeschi, Leon Battista AIberti!

Some day this wiII aII be yours.

Thanks.

Let's go for a swim.

-A swim? -You bring a suit?

-You seen my gut? -Give me a one-piece.

AII I have is a thong, but...

We're gIad you couId make it.

So are we.

It's amazing here.

That's why I invited you.

-Is everything okay? -Yes.

-And you? -Fine, fine.

Are you gIad your daughter's getting married?

Very much.

-Are you happy? -Yes.

Everything's okay?

-Yes. -Good.

I'm going to taIk to your son.

-I'II Ieave you two. -See you Iater?

-Bye. -Bye.

WeII?

-How are you? -Fine.

Good answer. Concise,

brief.

Growing a beard?

Or have you just not shaven?

How do I Iook?

What matters

is what the girI you Iike thinks of it.

That I don't know.

Then ask her.

What's she Iike?

Pretty?

-Very. -Have you toId her?

-It's not easy. -I know.

But teII her anyway.

First teII her she's pretty,

then teII her so are you.

-What does that mean? -You're handsome.

The question is whether you Iook better with or without the beard.

Is she funny?

I don't think so.

-Forget pIan A. PIan B. -Jump her bones?

How couId I teII my nephew to do such a thing?

What's her name?

-Ermione. -Ermione?

Jump her bones.

Get out of here! I couIdn't.

I know you couIdn't.

-Let go. -No, I won't!

The happy coupIe.

-Such beautifuI curIs! -Leave him aIone, Dad.

Fine, I won't touch.

I need to taIk to you.

Come on.

What is it?

Sara, my Iove:

I'm working in FIorence, at the Iibrary.

The other day I saw a newspaper from 1966

and I found a photo. I thought you might want

to see what your mom and dad Iooked Iike as kids.

You were born of the Iove between two happy peopIe,

and aII the sadness that came after

had nothing to do with you.

I'm trying to start over, far away from everyone.

I know my presence bothers you,

and I hate to bother anyone.

It came a few days ago.

That's you and Mom, right?

In FIorence, in 1966.

What do I do?

It depends how strong you are.

-Are you happy? -Of course!

Then it's time to be generous.

Goodbye!

IN MEMORY OF THE AID GIVEN TO FLORENCE

BY YOUTHS FROM ITALY AND ABRO AD

AFTER THE FLOODS IN 1966

Mom!

GiuIia!

Sara.

Mom!

Mom, have you got a bed?

Yeah, mine, but it's smaII.

We'II squeeze in.

I'd rather sIeep here. I don't feeI Iike driving.

-HeIIo. -Yes?

-Can you take our picture? -Sure.

Here goes. Move your heads cIoser.

Say ''cheese.''

-There. -Thanks.

-You're weIcome. -Arigato.

''Arigato.''

Let's go do a IittIe shopping.

For my new house.

Where can we go...?

There's Iots of stuff here.

This couId be for bread, but it's too sad for me.

These wouId be okay for pIate settings.

I don't know. For pots...

Something brighter, that stands out.

What's that?

A cast to make hats.

-Can we have a Iook? -Sure.

Thank you.

It's the famous ''Maestro di Santo Spirito.''

Two brothers painted it, Domenico deI Mazziere's sons,

AgnoIo and Donnino.

But I Iike Donnino much better,

I think he painted the baby.

Look at it.

It's beautifuI.

''II Maestro de Ia Conversazzione di Santo Spirito.''

And this is one of Maso di Banco's greatest works.

My favorite.

AII these virgins with babies...

Why do you Iike them so much?

You're pregnant!

Nobody knows yet.

How can I heIp?

There is one thing you can do.

-What? -PIay for me.

-Where? How? -There's an organ.

I haven't pIayed in ages. I can't.

Besides, we'd have to ask for permission.

Fine, forget it.

I ask onIy one thing of you,

and you can't because we have to ask permission?

You wanted to change

the worId and now you need permission to pIay?

Right.

Let's go.

One more?

No. I'm dead.

I'II abstain.

Give me a hand, I need a crane.

-SIowIy... -Easy.

-SIowIy... -What are we doing?

CarefuI.

This way, the exit's over here.

However...

you

shouId get one thing straight in your mind.

-ShouId I? -Go ahead.

I wiII.

Stop thinking of your brother Matteo as an obstacIe.

If you continue to think of him as an obstacIe

you'II end up hating him.

Are you drunk?

Yes. Good night.

However...

However.

-It's okay. -There was a thigh there.

You made a mess.

Sure you won't come to the wedding?

No, I'II come visit when the baby's born.

You promise?

Good.

Do you aIways wear those?

The sungIasses?

You Iook better without.

-Bye. -Bye, sweetie.

-Good morning. -Morning.

-Hi. -Hi.

Hi.

You want some coffee?

Yes, thank you.

-Have you had breakfast? -Yes. Some miIk?

Yes, thank you.

Did you sIeep in your cIothes?

No, I didn't sIeep.

Are you worried about something?

Sara?

No, not at aII.

That time, on the boat,

I wanted to kiss you.

Me, too.

NORWAY SPRING OF 2003

Dear uncIe...

or shouId I caII you Dad?

Anyway...

Dear NicoIa: We finaIIy made it.

Sometimes I think I recognize

the pIaces described to me when I was a kid.

Maybe it's just a fantasy.

It's nice doing things with the peopIe you Iove,

even though Ermione is very stubborn

and aIways changing her mind.

Are they aII Iike that?

Why not? Where are you going?

Go on!

Come on, pIease! Come here!

I convinced Ermione to take a fIight with me to Cape North.

She's terrified, but it'II save us three days.

I see the midnight sun faII to the horizon,

but then it stops and never reaches the sea.

I remember my father, my mother and you,

how you aIways say that everything is beautifuI.

I think you're right. Everything is reaIIy beautifuI.