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?
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.
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!
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!
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.
-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!
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!
-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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
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!
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...
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, 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?
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!
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.
What about your daughter?
Let me go.
Just teII me why.
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!