All that time, the princess watched him.
At long last it was the 99th night...
and the soldier stood up...
took his chair...
and left.
What? After all that?
After all that.
And don't ask what it means. I don't know.
If you understand it, you tell me.
Alfredo, what is it?
I can't. It's time for Mass.
Father, I need you urgently...
because I have doubts...
terrible doubts tormenting my soul.
Your soul!
Father, I've sinned.
- We can discuss that later. - But who...
Stay there. Don't move.
Just act normal. It's Salvatore.
How'd you get in there?
Alfredo, that's a terrible thing to say.
I know.
But take the miracle of the loaves and fishes.
What about it?
I always wonder: How is it possible?
All hell broke loose.
My mother told my father. How could you mistake her for me?
Forgive me, Elena. I was a real fool.
I had to talk to you.
You're so beautiful, Elena.
That's what I wanted to tell you.
When we meet, I can't say anything right...
because you make me tremble.
I don't know what others do in a case like this.
It's my first time.
But I'm in love with you.
Father, I have sinned.
I absolve you in the name of the Father...
the Son and the Holy Ghost.
Go in peace.
When you smile, you're even prettier.
Salvatore, you're very sweet, and I like you very much...
but I don't love you.
I don't care. I'll wait.
What?
Until you fall in love with me.
Now listen.
Every night after work, I'll come stand outside your house.
And I'll wait. Every night.
When you change your mind, open your window.
That's all. I'll understand.
You understand now?
Yes, I finally see the light.
Next time, don't talk heresy.
You survived the fire in the theater...
but no one can save you from eternal fire!
What's keeping Toto?
The theater's closed by now.
Fifteen seconds to the New Year!
14, 13, 12...
I wouldn't worry. He must be with his friends.
- Let's have a toast. - Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
- To Toto as well. - To Toto!
The movie's over! Turn the lights on!
This is just the test drive.
How'll we get home?
Oh, God, it's my father!
Good evening, Mr. Mendola.
Ladies and gentlemen, good evening.
The "Teatro della Fiera"in Milan presents Double Your Money...
hosted by Mike Bongiorno.
What do you know? I forgot my lines.
You're kidding me, right?
How can you see this "television" without any film?
- That's the way it works. - With no film?
And if you buy a television set, you can watch it at home.
That may be, but I don't like it.
There's something fishy about it.
- Massa...? - Macinaia.
Massa Macinaia.
It must be close to Massa Carrara.
No. It's near Lucca.
Isn't this a marvelous invention?
But how was I supposed to buy the equipment without a mortgage?
In this day and age, one has to keep up with the times.
It's a new machine called a teleprojector.
What are you going to perform this evening?
The Divine Comedy.
Maybe your father looks down on my job.
Or the fact my family is poor. Is that it?
As soon as school is out, we're going to Tuscany.
If you come up there, we can meet secretly.
I have to work all summer. What am I going to do without you?
Don't worry. I'll write you every day.
I love you. The summer will end, and I'll come back.
"Summer Screenings Will Be Held at the Arena Imperia"
Standing room only!
Get in for free, but pay to get out!
Come on in. The show just started.
Have your tickets ready.
Salvatore, my love...
the days here drag on forever.
I see your name everywhere: In a book, a crossword puzzle...
a newspaper.
You're always before my eyes.
Today, alas, I have bad news.
In October we're moving to Palermo, where I'll go to the university.
So we won't see each other every day.
But don't worry. Whenever I can get away...
I'll come to you at the Paradiso.
I caught an octopus!
There's a letter for you!
One a day. Here you go.
- You making fun of me? - Of course!
I'm blind!
By God's might, by man's actions! Rise up!
When will this rotten summer end?
In a film, it'd already be over.
Fade-out, cut to storm. Wouldn't that be great?
Tell them I am Ulysses!
Elena! But when...
I got back today.
You can't imagine the excuses I made up to come here.
You still can't beat Sophia Loren...
with those long legs and ample breasts.
- Kind of like Lana Turner? - Don Ciccio?
This is for Toto.
- You give it to him. - What is it?
Oh, my God! What am I going to do now?
What did they say?
As a war orphan, I don't fall under the mandatory draft.
But there's nothing to be done. They've made a clerical error.
I leave for Rome on Friday.
They said they'd discharge me after ten days.
- Come. - No, Salvatore. You'd better go.
My father's here.
Good. Finally we can talk. This time I'll make him see reason.
I'm afraid not, Salvatore. He has other plans for me.
Who?
The son of one of his business partners.
Don't look so sad. We'll talk about it later.
Wait for me Thursday at the Paradiso.
I'll be on the 5:00 bus. I love you.
"Thursday"
"Today"
This film is too highbrow for us. One day is more than enough.
Load the reels for tomorrow, ready for the new guy.
All right.
Hey, cheer up!
I'll wait for you. Don't worry.
The job'll still be here.
I'll wait, you hear?
Don't look so gloomy.
Come on, now!
You weren't expecting me, were you?
No, Alfredo. I was coming to help you.
No, you were expecting her.
It's no fun to wait alone.
It's easier if you have company, right?
Would you rather I left?
No, don't go. Listen, I need your help.
How did he talk me into this?
Open up!
Open the door!
I don't like it!
- I'm back. - What took you so long?
- I'm here now. - Where did you go?
Calm down. It's all right. Sit down.
Did she come?
No, no one came.
Radioman Di Vita, 3rd Battalion, 9th Company, sir!
Colonel, I'd like to know when I'll be discharged.
As yet we have received no such order. You may go.
They transferred her father? It can't be!
And no one knows where?
Screw you if you won't tell me! Asshole son of a bitch!
Colonel, I was only supposed to be here for ten days.
It's been almost a year and I haven't been home once.
I demand to be sent home on leave!
Di Vita, get ready. Your discharge came through.
You're thinner.
I can tell you've been unhappy.
They tell me you never go out...
and you never talk to anybody.
Why?
You know how it is.
Sooner or later a time comes...
when it's all the same whether you talk or not.
So you might as well shut up.
It's hot in here.
Take me to the sea.
At a party, a lieutenant pinches this girl's ass.
She turns around. It's the colonel's daughter.
Terrified, the lieutenant says...
"If your heart is as hard as what I just felt, I'm a dead man."
You haven't seen her?
And no one knows where she is.
That's probably how it was meant to be.
Each of us has his own destiny.
What do you plan to do now?
I've got another one.
The captain says to the sergeant...
"Do you remember...
when there was a windmill there?"
"Yes, Captain, I remember it well."
The windmill is gone now...
but the wind is still there."
Do you remember the story about the soldier and the princess?
Now I know why the soldier left after all that time.
One more night and the princess would be his.
But she might have broken her promise...
and that would have been terrible.
It would have killed him.
This way, at least, for 99 nights...
he had lived with the illusion that she was waiting for him.
Do as the soldier did, Toto.
Get out of here.
This land is cursed.
Living here day after day...
you think it's the center of the world.
You believe nothing will ever change.
Then you leave for a year or two.
When you come back, everything's changed.
The thread's broken.
What you came to find isn't there.
What was yours is gone.
You have to go away for a long time...
many years...
before you can come back and find your people.
The land where you were born.
But not now. It's not possible.
Right now, you're more blind than I am.
Who said that? Gary Cooper? James Stewart? Henry Fonda?
No, Toto.
Nobody said it.
This time it's all me.
Life isn't like in the movies.
Life...
is much harder.
Get out of here!
Go back to Rome.
You're young, and the world is yours.
And I'm old.
I don't want to hear you talk anymore.
I want to hear others talking about you.
Don't come back.
Don't think about us.
Don't look back. Don't write.
Don't give in to nostalgia. Forget us all.
If you do and you come back, don't come see me.
I won't let you in my house. Understand?
Thank you.
For everything you've done for me.
Whatever you end up doing, love it.
The way you loved the projection booth...
when you were a little squirt.
He's gone. Toto! Good-bye!
I got here too late. What a shame!
It's Toto. I knew it.
- Toto. - How are you?
Your sister will be so glad to see you. And the children...
You won't recognize them, they've grown so much.
They always write to say they want to come and visit.
See how nice the house is?
We had the whole thing redone, all thanks to you.
I have a surprise for you. Come.
Are you tired?
You have time to rest before the funeral.
No, Mama, it's only an hour by plane.
You shouldn't have said that after all these years.
Come. I put all your things in here.
He must be glad you came, Toto.
He always talked about you. Always.
Right up to the end.
He really loved you.
He left something for you.
Before you leave...
come see me.
When did you close it down?
Six years ago in May. Nobody came anymore.
You know better than I, Mr. Di Vita... the economy, TV, videos.
The old movie business is just a memory.
The city bought the site for a parking lot.
They're demolishing it Saturday. It's too bad.
What's this "Mr. Di Vita"?
You used to order me around.
Now that you're a big shot, it's a little different.
But if you insist, Toto.
Excuse me.
Who would've believed it? Little Toto.
Uncle, next time Grandma goes to Rome, I want to go too.
I want to see what you do when you work.
Fine, but I have to tell you, there's not much to see.
I sell a lot of smoke and very little substance.
Watch out, Salvatore.
Don't let them take advantage of you.
These two will eat you alive.
Uncle, are you leaving tomorrow?
I don't know. I don't know, Filippo.
I really don't know.