Why do you smoke?
Look...
Our future Empress is sleeping
See?
I couldn't even wake her with a pistol shot
Look...
The Imperial coat of arms even on her underwear!
I've never known a woman more stupid
She sleeps all day
Dreaming of the day when she becomes Empress
I swear, she told me And you know I never lie
Awake, she thinks only of clothes for the future heir
All embroidered with the Imperial coat of arms
But how will she have an heir? I certainly won't give her one
In spite of my father
Who keeps sending me letters
Asking: "Have you done your duty, my son?"
"It is imperative a future Emperor, has a male heir"
Male heir? I was thinking of killing her
Throw her in the water, she can't even swim!
She dreams she's Marie Antoinette at Versailles...
sending us all to the guillotine
We should send her!
But now I have to pee. Wait, I can't hold it!
Oh, I'm desperate
Here
- I need to... - Here!
Do it in her hat
- Perfect - Look here...
I want it, I want it. Give it to me!
The sunflower greets me and not the Emperor
To arrive unseen... you shouldn't offer flowers
Do you love me?
Oh yes
- Were you unfaithful? - No
Not even with your wife?
Not even with her
And you?
Oh, yes!
But I promised my brother I wouldn't tell you
Have you done your duty?
Not yet. We waited for you
My dear old dad is a stickler for etiquette
In honour of the happy departure of my wife...
I put on my trousers
Live, grow, blossom!
Tell me all about your travels
What did you and Sofia do?
We came across a circus and stopped to watch
A beautiful show
- Midgets on a flying trapeze - I saw that!
On my wife's birthday
They were supposed to perform for her
But we all got drunk
They were all drunk the other day in the tent, it was funny
The clowns were jumping around naked
There was a British Baroness
Standing like a statue, entranced
You should have seen her!
And the ringmaster was walking around wearing a mask...
and crying out: "Music!"
"Come gentlemen! Join in the performance"
"Here, you can say anything you want
"Step up here and reveal your true selves"
"It's the key to our success"
Sofia and I burst out laughing
"What luck, we've really come to the right place!"
"Mr. Ringmaster," I shouted...
"I'll tell you the story of my life. It's like a novel"
Adjusting his mask, he said to me:
"One moment! Before I let you tell it..."
"I must judge if it's of interest"
"It's most interesting," I replied
"To begin with, Mr. Ringmaster..."
"my sister and I are lovers"
"In a ménage-à-trois with the heir to the throne..."
"who is also our stepbrother"
"This is because our mother, when she was young and beautiful..."
"was the Emperor's mistress"
"We three are very much in love, and never want to be apart"
"But what about the Emperor? Sometimes when he's drunk..."
"he calls us all... 'my children"'
The Ringmaster didn't care
In a solemn voice he said: "If only it were true"
"But, dear sir, it is all true," I said
"Where is your proof?" he asked.
"How true is the truth, if there is no proof?"
How much longer will they let us do as we like?
Don't be silly
Enjoy it all while it lasts
Don't count the days
My father already knows
And he always... takes everything seriously, even our games
He's taken us so much to heart, that several days ago...
he threw all our friends in prison
- Did you know that? - Yes
And they were asked if there is a conspiracy amongst us
- Why doesn't he arrest us? - To avoid a scandal
He can't admit his son plots against him
I want to force my father to arrest us
It's the only weapon we have
Your father's envoy is here and wants to speak with you
Come on, let's have some fun
Greetings, Colonel. I see you made General already
Thank you, Highness
And I see you have a bodyguard
My father is generous to loyal subjects
I have orders...
Sorry, I must take a bath
I am here by your father's orders
Will you arrest me?
The Emperor sent me, Highness, with a letter for you
Here it is
Lovely...
Umbrellas!
Looks like rain
Ah, yes...
It often rains here when it's sunny
You may shelter, if you wish
See them off!
Our Holy Emperor has written that a dog is a man's best friend
If a dog chases a man to bite him...
is the man then neither a friend nor a man?
Our Holy Emperor has also taught us...
that nothing is more embarrassing than a bitch in heat...
because she has no shame
She'll do it anywhere and doesn't mind who watches
Our Holy Emperor teaches us many things
He's highly cultured and has fixed ideas about everything
As we grow up, he makes us learn his doctrines by heart
Family, procreation, the State, sin, a proverb for every subject
Now we know all the Emperor's doctrines...
every day, after lunch...
we do spiritual and physical exercise in order to forget them
There are too many. Each different from the other...
and all different from us
Listen...
I've just had a great idea
Let's hear it
- If it's so good let's do it - It's done
The circus arrives tomorrow
We're going to throw a spectacular party
Invite the young aristocrats
We'll have fun, and above all, drink
Teresa's yellow powder in the champagne...
- will work a miracle - And I'll photograph it!
I want them drunk
Intoxicated and uninhibited in every picture
Your father won't be able to hide the scandal
Not like before, with so much fuss made...
about harmless nonsense
We'll publish them and create an uproar
All the children of the Empire shall spit on their fathers
Long live all traitors!
Silence!
We'll begin the party with a nice family portrait
Just a moment
A little closer
Look that way
Smile
- Good - Wait...
Where's Teresa? Go and get her
Teresa, come join us for the photograph
Wait... first drink this
It's good, eh? Good... a little more...
Come on
Wait
Come along
Ready? Hold it...
The Circus of Truth has arrived among us!
All hail Mary!
Here we are
The Baroness de Gallis
Give me a kiss
The most illustrious youths of the Empire are here
...and the Baroness Fontan Anke Schmidt
- Welcome... - Please...
You must try the champagne
It's a special brand, very special. You'll like it very much
We had it sent from far away, especially for this party
Please, Countess...
My dear Prince, why aren't you drinking?
Have you had a drink?
Please...
And now: To your health!
Come, you must drink
Like our Hungarian dancers?
- They're great, aren't they? - Yes, indeed they are
- Is everything set? - All according to plan
The powder really works
Just wait
Live! ! ! Grow! Blossom!
Another toast!
Listen up! Listen up!
Now we will start the spectacular dance competition
We have abolished all the rules
If you feel too hot, just take off your clothes!
Total freedom is good for the health!
One! Two! The competition begins!
The dance continues! Onwards!
- Hey! It's time for a photograph - No, wait
They're not tired enough
Come on! Get up!
Come on! There's still time!
That's it, keep on dancing!
Dance!
Come on, Giuliana! Come on...!
Keep going!
Anke Schmidt! More, more! Keep it up
This will make a great picture
Freeze! Hold it!
You see? The fever is mounting... and will continue to rise
Silence! Silence! Silence!
Ladies and Gentlemen
We have arrived at a magical moment
Baroness Mary's friends...
will now present their famous revue...
"People and Masks"
Each person has many faces. A face for every circumstance...
every situation...
and every emotion
Who knows how many faces our Holy Emperor has?
May I look?
More champagne!
Here you go. Drink! Drink!
One moment, please! A very important message...
One hour ago, the Emperor abdicated in favour of his son
This brings much happiness to all who love him
Yesterday he was only heir to the throne...
now he's our new Emperor!
Bow before him!
Stand to attention!
Long live our new Emperor!
Long live our new Kaiser!
Today... our new Empress will be Baroness Mary
I've decided to divorce my wife, because I don't love her
I only married her by order of my father
But I love Mary who is beautiful, young... and intelligent
Now everyone will kiss the breasts of our new Empress
Listen!
I appoint my friend, the Duke, as Prime Minister of our great Empire
Sofia, his sister, will be his wife
- Long live the Prime Minister! - Long live Sofia!
He was a tyrant!
I want all of you to become my ministers
My wife, the new Empress, will distribute the ministries
He'd make a good Minister of Foreign Affairs
- A nice ass: Chief of Police - And all the rest...
Exactly. Make him Minister of War
Listen! Listen!
The first act of the new Cabinet...
will be the destruction of the ancient regime
Attention, ladies and gentlemen!
A guest has proposed a tribute to the memory of his grandfather...
General Von Beck Bulo, hero of Custozza and Königgrätz
This warrior dedicated his life to his country...
wasting not a single minute on women
His sexual needs were met by a friendly turkey
As he said, they cause no problems
Engage in no silly chatter
They never cry, won't leave you for one of your subordinates
And above all...
only they are capable of dying from love
Where's the General?
When I was in the military academy, he was my tutor
On my father's orders, he put a blackboard in my room
Every day he listed on it all my negligent acts...
all my misdeeds
Each month he would sum them up and send a list to the Emperor
My father would then suggest various punishments
Which the Colonel carried out with glee
He was so happy to take the whip in his hand
My dear Colonel...
Do you like to play at life?
Yes, I do
I'm sorry, Your Highness, I have orders to arrest you
Really? In that case...
I'm ready to follow you
Stop!
None may touch our new Emperor, not even a General
Right, my friends?
Let me go!
Stop! Stop!
Let go of me!
You'll pay for this!
Which is best: to give punishment, or to receive it?
Come along now
Let's give him a taste of his own medicine
Did you hurt your legs?
Poor little thing! Are you hurt?
How are your muscles?
At your age it's good to exercise
I'll beat you all!
Stop!
Don't open it
Why not?
It'll be my father writing to demand the photographs...
and my surrender
-...alone - Listen...
Alone you're just his crazy son
Together, we'd humiliate him
There'd have to be a trial
That's what we want... not what they want
I don't want to kiss you
Don't cry, this isn't a funeral
They won't harm you
Don't worry
Go now
And don't forget us!
Why are you letting them go?
- What will they do to you? - I don't know
- Do you want me to stay? - No, go
You've come back?
I'm tired of living the way I have
I want to stay with you
Will you have me?
Here's to our trial, the most sensational of the century
I'll tell about the Emperor's private life
I will explain the constant lies used as a pretext...
to arrest our friends
Those without important fathers
I drink a toast to their innocence
The soldiers say you're all crazy and behaved disgracefully
Poor soldiers - they themselves are good people
If the Imperial Guard say we're crazy, it must be true
Look! Look! I'm completely insane!
- You really are crazy! - Yes, indeed!
Be careful, I bite!
Come, sweet prince! Let's show the Imperial Guard...
that someone can be mad, without being mad
And we'll show them how half-witted a half-wit can be...
to think someone is mad who is not mad
Here come the Emperor's elite guard
Hearts beating in time with their firm, measured step
We mustn't keep them waiting
Stop!
Hold it!
Back in line!
Watch out! These are dangerous madmen
Forward, you heroes!
Let's follow our miraculous Kaiser!
Come back! Get back in line!
Come back here!
Attention, attention, please!
It's done!
Enough! I said, enough!
It's your dear papa
You see how he cares for us!
Your Highness, may I speak with you?
With me, no...
But, here is your son
How old you are, Dad?
All those wrinkles
It must be hard to collaborate with the Emperor
You hypocritical swine
All your life bowing down to the Emperor
You even made my mother sleep with him
How many innocents have you murdered?
You've endorsed that tyrant's evils without a qualm
And now you come here to tell us that we are evil and savage
Us
Poor papa
How do you feel?
Very well
I'm really happy
But now I want to sleep
I'm sorry, I can't wait any longer, I have specific instructions
I had hoped...
I could save my children
What do you want to do?
I don't know
Let's go!
- What is that music? - Aren't you scared?
Why?
They can't do anything to me
They can kill you
For what reason?
There are people paid to invent reasons
The Crown Prince's body will remain with that of the girl
Remove the others
If you have tears, my friends, prepare to shed them
I, am a simple, honest man...
with neither the wit, nor words nor worth...
nor power of speech to stir men's blood...
I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts...
but to speak with respect, and to recount the truth
The heir to the throne committed suicide this evening...
having killed the woman he loved
Whom, for reasons of state, he could not marry
Called by God to fulfill the highest of destinies...
born to become the Father of his people...
he has bowed his head
Only you can judge, Lord, if the fault was his