Original subtitles

1856 - AT THE GATES OF VIENNA

Good morning.

Oh no. How could this have happened?

Did you check the carriage?

Of course. I checked it this morning before leaving.

My love.

Where is Adolfo?

- How could this happen? - There he is!

- I don't get it either. - Please get back in the carriage.

Where have you been all this time, Adolfo?

He looks pale. Do you feel unwell perhaps?

I think he's sick with excitement about seeing the pretty Empress.

Let's go!

We can carry on, Your Highness.

Finally. Let's go.

- Should I put it with the other gifts? - No.

- Our Empress awaits us! - Let's go!

Close the door!

THE EMPRESS

Here.

A warm welcome to you.

A warm welcome to you.

Good day.

How nice to see you again.

How nice to see you again.

Where's the Hungarian?

Good day.

Good day...

All I need now is Italian.

Good day.

Mm.

I see you, Fienchen.

There'll be many guests today, little one.

Is the baby well?

Mm-hm.

Yes, and very shortly, you'll be a big sister.

Will I have a sister or a brother?

I do not know.

Which would you like?

The Lord will send us the ruler who will save us from the darkness, Your Highness.

He alone decides.

Not you, nor I. He alone.

I've always loathed waiting for men.

For centuries, it's been a man on the throne, Sophie,

who is chosen by God.

The woman gives life, and the man rules over it.

With no heir to the throne, we'll be gone.

Napoleon's had a son, Cardinal.

We must now show the whole world that the Habsburgs have a future.

We have to restore faith in the empire.

And you have to restore your own personal faith again, Your Highness.

It is an important day, ladies.

Foreign delegates are coming to see the Empress.

Relationships with her subjects are Her Majesty's highest priority.

We only have a few more hours to prepare Elisabeth.

Elisabeth? Can I say that?

Is that really what I call her?

Some general rules.

Firstly, we are immaculate, but we are never wanton.

Décolleté here, not here.

Secondly, I preside over the Empress's court.

I am the only one allowed to see her alone.

Never let anyone see the Empress without my permission. I mean it.

Yes, Countess.

- Thirdly, decide why you are here. - Decide?

There are certain ladies only here to go to balls

and find a rich husband.

Yes, I mean you, Josephina.

I was like that at first too, but I know better now.

Serving the Empress is the main purpose of my life.

Countess.

You have to be willing to do anything, or you will not last long.

Which doesn't mean to say that you can't have a bit of fun on the side.

No. Uh...

- Pardon me, Countess? - Pauline.

I don't think that we'll have a problem. My court, my rules.

Mm. Mm-mm.

You little rascal.

- Your Majesty. - Oh!

I do beg your pardon. The Princess got away from me.

She can always come to see me if she wants to. Always.

Princess Sophie, it is time for you to have your breakfast.

- She can have her breakfast here. - Yes.

That will interfere with the schedule.

Your Majesty?

The midwife is here.

Will you notify the Emperor?

Highness.

The delegations from distant Bukovina and Dalmatia

have also confirmed their attendance.

The Hungarians have confirmed?

Aye, Your Majesty. And they're looking forward to it.

We both know for whom they have all embarked on this long journey, do we not?

They're not coming for me.

And for me neither.

Your Majesty, the Empress wishes to see you.

I am on my way.

I hear a strong heartbeat. In three to four weeks, it'll be time.

And now the most crucial question. Shall we?

Do you all want to know?

His Majesty The Emperor.

Your Majesty.

I wanted you right by me.

Please continue.

You can really tell for certain?

Midwife Pfudel has brought 2,000 children into the world,

including 30 kings, earls and dukes, and...

a pope.

She has never been wrong.

Where I'm from, we used to say that if the mother's glowing,

rosy cheeks, shiny hair, then she will have a son.

But if she's pale, with hair colourless and dry,

then she'll have a daughter.

For girls drain their mother's beauty.

That's a peasant's tale.

It's the rate of the heartbeat...

...and the shape of the belly.

You see?

What is it?

You're carrying the heir to the throne.

Do not doubt me. I feel it.

She is never wrong?

Never.

- Mm. - Are you ready to greet your guests?

How lovely to see you again.

The pleasure is all mine.

You see? It's nice in another tongue.

I do not behave with such abandon.

Mm.

Ooh.

Are you all right?

Oh. He kicked me.

My son,

behave in there, you hear?

In a few weeks, when you're born, we will speak man-to-man.

Now give your mother some peace.

Whoa.

Let's go.

Ado, let's go.

My secretary needs to review these

before the cabinet meeting tomorrow morning.

- Certainly. - Thank you.

He's gone now.

You should really try and keep your wardrobe clean. You've lots of moths.

I'm so tired of keeping you hidden, my love.

Even though it's awfully nice.

Well, you should know me well enough by now

to know that I am not made for this kind of illicit behav...

My love, for one who fought in the revolution,

you are so overly sensitive.

The revolution was nothing compared to being with you.

And also, you know, I was not involved in the street fighting.

I was engaged in the discourse

regarding questions of jurisprudence in my reading club...

Mm-hm.

But you're still trying to improve the empire, aren't you?

From behind your desk.

- Yeah. - Yeah?

From behind.

No! Not yet!

Nothing will break our love.

Excuse me, Minister.

The Empress is looking for the Countess Apafi.

- Except her. - How do they know that I'm here?

- I will let her know. - No, no, no. Shh!

Yes, Minister.

Everyone knows that you're here.

Even the chambermaids wonder why we're not official.

Leontine, that was a joke.

Wait. It is only my valet who knows.

No, please stay.

- Your Majesty. - Your Imperial Highness.

I have heard the good news.

I would like to show you something.

My baptism gift.

I remember the first time I saw you in this uniform.

It is not the uniform that will make him govern well.

No. It's the grace of God.

I trust I will rise to the occasion.

You are still young.

We will have to wait till the child's born healthy and is walking.

Where were we, Theo?

You've been watching his every move.

Look who's coming.

Uh, where are you going? I am sorry.

To see the Empress, of course.

No one may go in.

She sent for me, girl.

Mm?

Or do you wish to forbid the Empress to receive me?

No.

What is your name?

Well, that is a good question. Who are you, really?

No one actually knows, do they?

Well, my name is Pauline von Bellegarde. It's my first day.

It's a pleasure, Pauline. My name's Leontine von Apafi.

You only see the Empress on Tuesdays if I allow it.

- She wants me here. - So what?

Charlotte, please let me in to see the Empress.

You know it's such an important day for her.

Just this one time.

And only because I say so.

Struggling with Hungarian?

Ah, Leontine.

There you are at last.

The midwife told me the good news. She told me that you're expecting a boy.

I just hope she's right.

What if it's a girl again?

Then we'll raise a group of bright little women.

If I do have a son, then we will travel.

I hope to do and see so much in the empire.

I know you do.

I told you not to run off.

I do apologise, Your Imperial Highness.

Look what you've done, Princess Sophie.

That was a gift from the Pope to Maria Theresia.

You must learn to behave.

- Please forgive me, Your Highness. - Fienchen?

- Mama. - What has happened?

Have you hurt yourself?

All is well, my darling. It was just a vase.

I just wanted to play, Mama.

The Princess decided to run off again, Your Majesty.

This is Fienchen's house, not her cage.

She is allowed to explore freely.

I am of the same mind, Elisabeth.

I will make sure that we find a new occupation for you.

So you heard Her Majesty?

You can go.

How do you feel, Elisabeth?

Very well, thank you.

I'm aware that the reception tonight was your idea,

but might it all be a little too much for you?

I'm anxious about your son.

I must speak to the people in our realm.

I am their Empress.

I wish to hear them.

Once she's given birth to the boy, I will take over.

Of course, Your Imperial Highness.

I will mould our heir.

Then she can travel and listen to the people as she pleases.

The further away, the better.

What do we do if she has another daughter?

The Lord will not disappoint me again.

I do actually wonder if it's God's will to decide everything.

- Do you not? - Have you any better ideas, then?

No, Your Imperial Highness.

Well, then.

Ugh, all these languages make my head hurt, my dear.

Do you see there? The delegation from Dalmatia.

They say that region boasts the most handsome men.

I would need a man who satisfies my intellect.

No such man exists.

Your Imperial Highness.

But look at that. He is a fine figure of a man.

Your Imperial Highness.

May I introduce my three daughters, Josephine, Alexandrine, and Wilhelmine.

Good.

Oh my God.

Dear Countess, you look enchanting. This new role suits you very well.

Yeah. Go on.

- How pathetic. - Yes.

Three daughters truly are a burden, especially those three.

A greater burden is how he lusts after you like that.

Impressive celebration, Bach.

Are you demonstrating the unity of the empire?

I believe our Emperor's popularity's growing.

Mm. Is that a result of your hard work?

Or is it the Empress they adore instead?

You're confusing me.

Aren't you Her Highness, von Bach?

Mm?

His Majesty the Emperor. Her Majesty the Empress.

Your Majesties and honoured guests,

representatives from all hereditary lands and Crown lands from across the empire

have travelled here to pay their respects to His Majesty the Emperor

and Her Majesty the Empress.

I hereby invite the Bohemian Prince to now come forward.

Good day.

Welcome to Vienna.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

May God protect you, Your Highness.

The Crown land of Bukovina.

The delegation from the Crown land of Dalmatia.

Thank you.

The delegation from the hereditary land of Hungary.

Hungarian men? That could be interesting.

They're not here at my request, I assure you.

- It is my great honour. - Thank you.

Welcome to Vienna.

You speak our language?

Yes, sir. It's most important to me.

Disgusting.

The delegation from the hereditary land of Lombardy-Venetia,

Count Giuseppe Marino.

It is a great honour, Your Majesties.

We come here from Milan,

and I bring you the best wine from our vineyards.

- Come. - Thank you so much.

You're welcome.

Italians will not be silenced! You have to set us free!

- Highness, you have to help! - Don't touch her!

Freedom for Italy! Down with Austrian terror!

Freedom for Italy!

Hear us out, Empress!

The Lombards are oppressed! You must help us! Your Majesty!

- Out with him now! - Empress, help us!

Elisabeth, no!

Stay back!

Elisabeth, stop!

Stop the Empress!

Elisabeth!

Get away from there.

How could this happen? Get rid of him.

One of the guards said he was a Lombardian rebel.

Oh, but why are they rebelling in Lombardy?

Do you think that he meant to do harm to the Empress?

- Stop muttering, you hear? - What?

The Empress needs us now. She'll be here any moment.

Fetch some fresh clothes.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty...

- I want to see my daughter. - That's blood.

Do not stand there like a swan, Pauline.

Get the Empress a cup of tea.

Where's Fienchen?

She has been taken to safety, Your Majesty.

Elisabeth?

Shh. Please leave at once.

Leontine?

Can you find out if he's still alive, that man from Lombardy?

Who was he?

Adolfo Tadini had been your secretary for a year.

SÌ.

You want us to believe you knew nothing of his political views?

I swear on my life.

Your Majesty, I knew not of this. I swear I did not.

- I beg you, please believe me. - Stand up, will you?

Please escort the Count out.

- Question him tomorrow morning. - Yes, Your Majesty.

But I didn't know. I didn't know anything.

He delivered a cut-out tongue.

What does it mean?

It means people in that part of the realm want to say something but are forbidden.

What's occurring in Lombardy-Venetia, von Bach?

The calls for political autonomy

and release from Habsburg rule and occupation

have never ceased entirely since the revolution.

But in recent years,

there has been no evidence of an organised independence movement.

That man acted alone, Your Majesty.

I am certain of it.

Nevertheless,

I will increase our military presence in the Lombardy region

with immediate effect, Highness.

That will suffice.

Sadly, it is not that simple.

Majesty, see this.

Our immediate neighbour, the Kingdom of Piedmont,

has long desired to unite all Italian-speaking regions,

Sicily, Modena, Parma, Tuscany, and so on, into one nation,

thus ending their allegiance to us once and for all.

And also, it would include Lombardy-Venetia.

Have you ever heard such a notion?

What will they call this nation?

Italy.

The Lombards have been part of Austria for over 150 years.

They are loyal to the realm.

Are they though?

Piedmont's Prime Minister, the Count of Cavour,

spoke out in Paris at the peace conference,

loudly railing against Habsburg.

He declared that Lombardy should be freed from the rule of Austria.

And why am I hearing of this only today?

Our attention was on the peace negotiations with St Petersburg.

The rest was secondary.

Today's incident shows that you have misjudged this time.

The Lombardy region is part of the realm, and is still your responsibility, Bach.

Yet Piedmont is not.

Gentlemen.

How did the other major powers react to Piedmont's demands?

Since the Crimean War, our standing is not good.

And France is very hostile, the British Empire as well.

That is an outrage,

because we sent 300,000 Austrian men to hold back the Russians.

And yet we avoided the battlefield.

Victory over Russia is thus credited to Emperor Napoleon alone.

The opinion of him in Paris was a man who does not fear war.

I do not fear war either.

But it is peace I prefer.

We must engage Napoleon in conversation.

It would be good to have him on our side.

Emperor Napoleon will not speak to an Austrian diplomat.

"Emperor Napoleon", it sounds absurd.

Because an Emperor is born. One does not proclaim oneself as such.

Napoleon cares not for the old rules of politics.

We must show him his value to us.

We will flatter him with a royal visit.

Your Majesty, you cannot go to Paris yourself.

No, of course not.

TRIESTE AUSTRIAN PROVINCE

Your Majesty, dearest brother...

...this is my 85th letter.

But who counts such things?

Shoo.

I just read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

It is about a scientist who creates a human in his own image.

But then Frankenstein rejects his creature because he fears it.

Then the monster only does terrible things.

Allow me to quote the monster.

"I am evil

because I am unhappy."

Imperial Highness.

I am sick on my birthday every year.

Shall I ask your guests to excuse you?

Out with the old and in with the new.

Cheers.

♪ For he's a jolly good fellow For he's a jolly good fellow ♪

♪ Which nobody can deny ♪

I thank you all.

- Thank you, Ivan. - Ah, make a wish, Your Highness.

I wish for good health.

Mm. Mm.

Outstanding friendships.

Sì.

And a vat of wine that doesn't run dry.

And a palace a lot larger than this one here.

And then I wish for...

...a huge wave from the sea to come...

to swallow everything.

Me, first of all.

Did you congratulate him on his birthday? Your brother?

I have more pressing matters to attend to.

He's suffered enough.

It was high treason.

You get hanged for that.

Well, you know that I would have prevented him.

He wouldn't have got away with it.

It's really not about if he succeeded or not.

He attempted to.

I'm going to bed.

Forgiveness is not a feeling, Franz.

It's a decision.

Your Imperial Highness!

- Your Imperial Highness! Here. - Leave me.

Leave me be.

I'm even too cowardly for that.

Alexander?

Did you see the Empress?

She'd like to know how the young man is doing.

He died of his injuries.

Can you tell me what else you know about him?

Sometimes, I feel like you're using me.

Her Highness bade me come to you.

I want this to stop.

These secret trysts, they're not right.

That sounds like the Catholic in you.

Do you think you'll go to hell because of me?

Please marry me.

I want to show the whole world that we belong together.

Leontine,

it's time to meet your family at last.

I'll think about it.

But what is stopping you from agreeing?

You have my dress.

No, it's not yours.

What happened to the real Countess Apafi?

You are vile scum.

Sleep, my darling.

Close your eyes now.

The good Lord is in the light And in the darkness

In everything there is

He is in our kiss, my love

Sleep tight.

I'm really sorry about what happened today.

- Why did we shoot that soldier? - We had no other option.

He was trying to flee.

He did not have a weapon on him though, did he?

He threatened us.

And I was scared for you.

He meant me no harm. I know that, Franz.

He was not fleeing, he was desperate. Can't you see it?

Yes, and desperation leads to hate. And then this can happen.

And what if he had hurt you?

Us?

He didn't mean to.

What you said to Fienchen just then...

what was that?

A verse I like.

Heinrich Heine?

I know he's still forbidden here.

Don't be angry.

My father sent it to me.

Who else?

Is he kicking again?

Elisabeth?

The midwives!

The Empress needs the midwives right away!

The midwives!

The Empress needs the midwives.

Come. Hurry.

Faster! Faster!

- My spectacles! - I have them.

What has happened?

Your Imperial Highness.

- Is something wrong with the child? - The contractions have started.

- The heir to the throne will arrive soon. - Oh, this is too early. He's not due.

Oh, nature takes its own course, Your Imperial Highness.

Let it be known that the whole court should pray, in the chapel.

- Certainly, Your Imperial Highness. - Everybody. The whole court must pray.

Not yet.

It is the Empress. She's in labour.

Get out! The Empress needs me. The Empress needs me now!

Oh God.

- Oh... - Are we not intruding?

We're here to encourage Her Highness. It's how it's always been.

If Your Majesty would lie down, it would help the process.

I have to keep moving.

Thank you.

- Is it not too early? He's not due yet. - Oh, it's only a few weeks.

I'm not worried, Highness.

The sun may rise only once when a woman is in labour. You know that.

It's only been a few hours.

And massaging the lower back helps to open up the cervix.

No massage. The cervix had opened sufficiently two hours ago.

Yes, but then why is the head not crowning?

What can I do?

Tell me what I can do.

Something is wrong. The pain was different last time.

Can you not ease the pain for her?

In England, they give women chloroform in childbirth.

Not in Habsburg.

Bearing the agony is our God-given duty.

Go get the doctor.

Respectfully, we can manage.

Go get the doctor.

Mm. Mm.

He is worth it, Elisabeth.

- Could be the umbilical cord. - Lord, please help.

Uh, may I ask you to lie down, Your Majesty?

Perhaps we should sing something soothing.

Yes. But do it outside.

My umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck,

and the midwife cut it with a letter-opening knife.

Will you please go now?

Dr Fritsch and the midwives, stay.

Please.

Lie still now.

Hold this, please.

- Is there something wrong with him? - I can see the head.

You're doing very well, Your Majesty.

I fear the uterus is damaged.

We can still save the child.

What was it that you said?

We must get the child out. Forceps, Mrs Pfudel.

Quickly now. We have no time to lose.

You are doing very well, Your Majesty. Very well.

...the spirit that gives life. Dear Lord, in Mary, the mother of Jesus,

we meet the dawn of redemption.

On the feast of her birth, we ask you to protect the Empress.

Inspire and strengthen...

Hold this, please.

Yes, Doctor.

I need more light.

Keep going, Your Majesty. That's it.

It's nearly all over.

Yes, Your Majesty, you are doing so well. Just one more push.

Nearly there.

Yes. That is very good.

Here it comes. Here it comes.

I shall clean the child, Doctor.

I've prepared a bath.

We have to stop the bleeding now.

Elisabeth, you did it.

You did it, Elisabeth.

Your Majesty, please go to your child.

I cannot leave her.

I implore you. Go now.

Towels. We need towels.

Bring more towels, quickly.

I'm sorry, Majesty.

It is a girl.

Try to keep her awake.

Your Majesty?

Are you awake?

Your Majesty, can you hear me?

Your Majesty?

Your Imperial Highness! A telegram!

Your Imperial Highness!

A telegram from Vienna.

It is from your brother.