Original subtitles

Are you sure you want to shave with that thing?

This thing shortens your beard and lengthens time

all in one go, Mother Pascalina.

lt takes 1 5 minutes to shave with a regular razor,

and only five minutes with this.

Think of it, ten extra minutes every day.

Ten extra minutes to work, to pray, to read.

Or maybe even to sleep.

l sleep enough.

Your pills.

Ah, mysterious.

We create these wonderful things like this

and then forget who created the wonderful beings that we are.

Your chicken soup.

Holy Father.

Forgive me, Your Holiness.

The films we were waiting for have arrived.

Uh, l'm sorry, Your Holiness.

l was unable to get hold of the projectionist at this hour.

Good. And--

No, no, no, no. lt needs a loop.

These German projectors are well made

and have good optics,

but if you don't thread them correctly

they can jam.

Like this, you see?

[projector clicking]

[film sound, crowd cheers]

Tomorrow this film will be shown in every cinema in ltaly.

Everyone will know that Mussolini is free once again,

and that he is already in Berlin with Hitler.

This could lead to a civil war.

On the one hand you have

those who are ready to kill for il Duce,

and on the other, those who will kill for freedom.

Set up the other film.

[projector clicks off]

[projector clicking]

As l said, this comes from the German barracks.

lt's one of those propaganda films

the Nazis show their soldiers.

[Hitler speaks on film]

''There is no fault in annihilating a life

that has no value.

The weak must be destroyed.

We must show no mercy, we must re-accustom ourselves

to showing no mercy with a clear conscience.''

''And thus, our drums...

our flags and our troops will be united...

''And no one will be able to defeat us.

[crowd cheers on film]

[Hitler continues on film]

''Are you a man?''

''Or is there something else within you?''

No!

[classical music plays on radio]

Turn it up.

Radio London is coming on.

[radio broadcast] Good evening.

A few months in prison and 1,000 lire in fines

with a suspended sentence.

This is the price for every ltalian citizen

with a clean criminal record...

Well, l guess we're all outlaws then.

That one is the original pass.

The other is the imitation.

What do you think?

l think it's perfect.

Now all we need is a stamp like the Ministry's.

And we know who can get us one.

[door opens, bell jingles]

l know, l know.

lt's a German!

Wait here.

No, wait!

lf anything happens, go out that door.

And don't come back!

Good morning.

Where were you?

ln the back of the shop...

Just dozed off a bit.

l don't have many customers these days.

You have extraordinary editions here.

That one is dated just before the 1 8th century,

but l have even rarer books

from the middle of the 1 6th century.

Are you Jewish?

Yes.

Have you lived here long?

My family has been in Rome for centuries.

Then you know every Jew who lives in the ghetto...

and others too?

But of course you won't reveal their identities.

This is truly an excellent edition.

l'll come again for the ones from the 1 6th century.

Dante Cimino...

He's the head of the community, right?

Look, you don't understand.

We don't have a choice. We have to play their game.

My God, how are we going to satisfy their request?

What happened?

Sit down.

Dante?

Dante was summoned to the German command.

They made a request.

Our community must give the Germans 50 kilos of gold,

or else 200 of us will be arrested and deported.

- 50 kilos? - ln 36 hours.

What?

What do they think we are? Animals?

They can buy and sell us, and send us to the butcher?!

Miriam! Calm down!

This is not the time.

Right now each and every minute means the life of one of us.

Let's concentrate on getting that gold.

We can set up a collection point at the school,

but we need to find somewhere safe to keep the gold.

l know where.

Gold won't stop them.

And if the gold doesn't stop them,

do you think they'll continue with the persecutions?

Even in Rome?

ln any case, we must respond immediately.

Which of the Germans can we talk to?

Their ambassador, Weizsacker.

Too elusive.

Directly to the Head of the SS, General Wolff.

He'll deny everything.

General Stahel...

Do you think he has a say in this?

He's the military commander of the city.

Yes, but will he listen to you?

They say he's a man of faith.

Perhaps the Pope's words still mean something to him.

General, this arrived for you.

l received this from the Holy See.

An invitation from the Pope.

What an honor.

Do you think l should accept?

Who else have you spoken to about this?

Nobody... Only you.

What could he possibly want to ask me?

Perhaps you should go and find out.

You are the German ambassador to the Holy See.

You should know what the Pope has in mind.

The point isn't what the Pope thinks.

The point is what you will think after having spoken to the Pope.

Don't forget who Pius Xll is -

a Pope, who not so long ago,

supported the plot against our Führer.

l won't let him influence me.

l'm sure you won't.

General Wolff, please.

25 grams.

Now the war has taken everything from us.

Thank you.

We should be using this gold to buy weapons.

lnstead we're giving it to the Germans.

- 1 00 grams. - They'll keep their pact.

lf we give them the gold, they'll leave us alone.

Sure they will. Why not?

You said before they would leave us alone,

that they were preoccupied by the Americans.

And this is how they leave us alone?

l'd rather give them a little gold than 200 lives.

l'm not going to sit around and see who's right.

Here's the last of my gold!

Now l'm leaving the ghetto!

Come on, let's get out of here!

- Marco. - Miriam.

What are you doing here?

l've come to give you these.

lt's the only thing made of gold

that l brought to Rome.

Thank you.

l know you wanted to wear these for your graduation.

Do you remember?''

Any man's death diminishes me

because l'm involved in mankind...

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls.

lt tolls for thee.''

- John Donne. - Donne.

Thank you.

That's what l call a bargain.

What?

50 kilos of gold in exchange for 200 lives.

You think so?

Well, how much is your life worth, Bianca?

Depends on who's buying.

General.

Heil Hitler.

1 2:00, the Vatican. Mark it down.

General Stahel.

Your Holiness.

They warned you against me.

The usual advice one gets before a meeting

with the head of a foreign state.

Please.

l lived in Germany... for 1 2 years.

So l was told.

And you know one of the things l liked most about your country?

lts automobiles.

The 500K is the most beautiful car in the world.

l personally prefer the 770.

To what lengths are you willing to go, General?

Will a request for gold be the end of it?

Or are more serious measures to be taken

against our Jewish community?

That is not a decision l can make.

Yes, but surely you must have been informed.

And if l have been, l'm not authorized

to share that information with you.

Do you love your country, General?

l've been a soldier since l was 22.

l have fought in Belgium, France, Finland and ltaly.

l've been decorated with the lron Cross First Class,

and the Knight's Cross.

l do know what it means to love one's country.

And all l would ask is that you continue to do so.

Germany needs the love of its men -

men who do not soil its honor with unworthy actions.

So...

How do you like Rome?

l'm not here for pleasure.

No, of course not.

But you must have noticed that there's something

about this city that remains eternal -

like only one other city in the world:

Jerusalem.

They are both cities where the presence of God

seems to be more strongly felt.

My God, your God...

and the God of every man.

♪

[man yelling in German]

General Wolff.

The Führer has his eyes fixed on Rome.

He has ordered me to carry out the most delicate mission

in the entire history of the Reich...

A mission that not only our careers depend upon,

but possibly the entire fate of the war.

Gentlemen...

The Führer has ordered us to kidnap the Pope.

They're already preparing an appropriate place

for his detention in Austria.

And what's the purpose of this kidnapping?

To use him as a bargaining chip.

To blackmail the allies.

We'll need hundreds of men.

Mussolini's liberation has shown how effective

small groups of selected soldiers can be.

But are we aware of the consequences

that something like this--

[bang on table]

The Führer is watching us.

Which of you want to disappoint him?

42 kilos, 356 grams.

And less than 20 hours to go.

Everyone has already given all the gold they have.

We still have many kilos missing.

What now?

Who are we going to ask for help?

l know how hard this must have been

for you to ask me for help.

We might be able to come up with more,

but l can't take the risk.

We'll start organizing it right away.

You'll get the gold you need.

Yes, Holy Father.

The community will be grateful, as am l.

We'll pay you back as soon as we can.

''And the Lord came to Abraham, saying,

'Be not afraid, Abraham.

l am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.'

And then He brought him outside and said to him,

'Look now toward the heaven

and count the stars if you are able to number them.'''

''And He said to him,

'So shall your descendents be.'''

[crash, glass shatters, gunshot rings out]

What the hell are you guys doing?!

Get that away from my car!

Well, that's going to be a bit difficult!

Come on!

They're going to destroy my car!

Give it to me!

Get behind me.

Come on, run!

- Get in there! - Over there!

Go, run!

lnto the car!

Quickly!

Go!

Go!

Come on!

[bell clanging]

- Please, let us-- - What do you want?

Didn't you hear?

This is a convent. l cannot let you in.

Oh, Father, please, do understand.

This is a very dangerous situation.

- Let them in! - Yes, Father Pfeiffer.

What did you get yourselves into out there?

Ask Garibaldi over here.

We tried to steal a load of arms from them.

Steal from them?

Some things should be left to those who know how to do it.

We were outnumbered!

None of you should have been there in the first place.

- Enough! - Father, please.

Silence.

[knocking at door]

We are looking for two young men.

One of them has a pair of glasses,

which l think are broken.

Have you seen them?

This is a convent.

There's nobody like that here.

They could have snuck in.

ln that case, if l find them,

l will hand them over to you.

Very well.

lt's better if you hide here for the night,

but come tomorrow, l never want to see you again.

Oh, enough.

So?

The Pope will help us, but hopefully we won't need it.

Whatever happens, we know that everyone has done their best.

Let us pray to the Lord

for the gifts we are about to receive.

May the name of the Lord be praised now and forever.

ln the name of Jesus,

Satan, you who were defeated by Moses at the Red Sea,

be gone from this man.

Be gone.

What are you reading? The Guerilla Warfare manual?

Love poems.

Exactly.

Petrarca's Canzoniere.

Never heard of it.

We still haven't introduced ourselves.

My name is Marco, what's yours?

l'm... me.

Well, thanks for today.

Thanks for nothing.

l'll send you the bill for the damages to my car.

l'm sorry. l didn't know where to hide.

The next time you're playing war,

stay away from me, right?

How can you talk like this?

l was fighting for you, too.

l take care of myself, thanks.

Well, while you're taking care of yourself,

the country is falling apart -

half going to the Americans, and half to the Nazis.

Who are you with?

Do l necessarily have to be with someone?

No, not necessarily; lt's your choice.

But make your mind up quick

because when good men do nothing,

evil thrives.

And are you a good man?

l try.

Nah... You're a rich man.

What makes you think that?

Your shoes,

the material your shirt is made of,

your watch.

My watch...

Here you are.

You're right, l've always had everything.

So when my family went south to be closer to the allies,

l decided to stay here, make myself useful.

That was a stupid decision.

Maybe, but l hope it was the right one.

[church bells ring in distance]

[crowd chattering]

Do you have any tobacco?

lt's for my father.

How much?

Uh, you decide.

How much do l owe you?

Nothing.

Tell me how much l owe you.

Why can't you just accept the gift?

Because you never give anything away for free.

Look, everyone is offering their own gold.

You?

80 cents.

[kids talking, crowd chattering]

Papa, you promised me you would close the door...

What happened?

We've done it, Miriam. We've done it!

We've reached the 50 kilos!

Has the gold from the Pope arrived?

No...

We no longer need his help.

And who brought all of this?

l have no idea.

l was in the old school, in case something else came in.

l heard a noise from the back,

l went to check, when l came back out,

someone had left this on the scale.

An angel!

Well, whoever it is,

200 of us owe them our lives.

Sorry.

Now we've given them our gold

and everyone is celebrating.

But things will only get worse,

and l don't want to be here when they do.

No, no, no.

l need a safe place to hide.

- How about a convent? - A convent?

Davide.

Oh, sorry.

Miriam, you sweet child, it's all right.

Can l speak with you?

l'm busy.

l need to...

l need to apologize.

For what?

Come with me?

When l was a little girl,

for years l never came onto this bridge.

Why?

Because you had told me that under the bridge were pirates,

and l was afraid they would kidnap me.

So there was a time

when you believed the things that l told you?

Yes...

A happy time.

What do you want to apologize to me for?

l saw the ring.

l accused you of not doing anything for the community...

and instead,

you had actually already done more than anyone else.

That doesn't change anything.

l'm still a thief.

lt changes something for me.

l always fought the idea that you were a good person...

But deep down l knew that you were.

l...

l love you, Davide.

l always loved you.

l hope you can forgive me.

Miriam...

Say it again...

My name.

Davide.

♪

He'll be fine now.

Oh, Dante!

Come have some more wine, please.

Yes, of course.

- Join us. - How are you?

They're perfect.

Officially you can take your wife past the front,

with these, to the south where it's safe.

How much do l owe you?

lt's only a piece of paper and some ink.

- You know it's more than that. - Have a safe trip.

You want me to play you a special song,

just for you and your blue eyes?

[news plays on radio]

Can you believe this?

So, what are they saying?

Nothing.

The Americans are still in Cassino.

How long does it take to get here?

lt's 1 00 kilometers.

- 1 30. - Give it up!

The Germans are here to stay, so we might as well

just come to terms with the situation.

Well, she certainly likes to come to terms with them.

So, Humberto, does Tommaso pay you with money,

or with the liquor?

lt wouldn't make much of a difference.

How about a tikvà to thank God for this day?

A tikvà? l'm not Jewish.

[humming tune]

[plays same tune on accordion]

[all singing]

♪

- Hey. - Oh, Marco.

You have something of mine.

You're right.

Here, you can have it back.

l see you got a lot of use out of it.

l don't need a book for that.

Sure...

You know how to make up stories all by yourself, huh?

You're trusting the wrong person.

Are you sure?

Hey...

Come on, everybody, sing!

[crowd singing]

♪

[cheering in distance]

With the blessing of His Holiness, Pius Xll.

General.

Captain.

The Jews have delivered the gold.

lt's time for the second phase of the operation.

l need some of your men from the front.

Of course.

Forgive me, Mother Superior.

This family has come to us looking for a place to hide.

l can take the man in with the other priests

but women and children...

This is an enclosed convent.

l know, Mother, but this is an emergency.

lt will soon be curfew.

How can we take such responsibility?

Only the Pope can open an enclosed convent.

Listen, Mother.

You don't have to take any responsibility.

Just open that door, and l'll take care of the rest!

[baby crying]

Mother!

Good... Come in.

Come in, come in.

Come, come.

You did the right thing, Father.

That's why l've always trusted you.

Thank you, Holy Father.

But Your Holiness,

this could establish a dangerous precedent.

lt must establish a precedent.

We're in a state of emergency, Eminence.

We should be ready to welcome anyone who needs our help.

And therefore, all our institutes, parishes,

convents and monasteries

should be opened to whomever seeks shelter.

You do realize that this could give the military

a reason to retaliate against us?

Yes, Eminence, the Pope does realize this.

And that is why we need to pray more intently.

The passes are ready.

People are expecting these.

Will you be able to deliver them all?

Oh, good morning.

l've asked Davide to help me.

Good, good.

You two have finally gotten together.

Thank you for your help, Davide.

l would have never believed

that you'd ask me to work on a Saturday.

Well, only because it's for a good cause.

l'll get you back in the synagogue one day.

Oh, well, we'll see.

Now get going.

You go and rest, Papa.

You've been up all night printing passes.

l'll just clean the press, and go upstairs.

OK.

Oh, l thought of a password.

What is it?

Tikvà.

ln Hebrew, it means hope.

Tikvà.

Look, let's split up.

You take the passes to the ghetto,

l'll help father and then bring the ones to Trastevere, OK?

Where do we meet after that?

- At the bridge. - At the bridge.

[both giggle]

Whoa...

[machine cranking]

What are you still doing here?

l'll give you a hand.

Leave. l don't want to see you here.

But we'll get it done faster.

Out!

You need to be with Davide, not your old father.

[machine stops]

Mom could never have married a better man.

Every day you remind me more and more of her.

Now go. l see you later.

[machine cranking]

♪

There he is - the one with the glasses!

Stop!

Halt!

[gun fires]

Ah!

Hurry!

Leave him in the street.

We set an example for others.

♪

[engines rumbling]

[dogs barking, tweeting of whistles]

You have your orders!

The first unit will take the east building!

The other side is burned!

Move it, move it!

[soldiers yelling in German]

[pounding on door]

Open up now! Vagli!

- The Vagli family? - Yes.

Get dressed and follow us.

Oh, my God!

You'll be safe with these.

Oh, thank you.

Pipolo!The Pipolo family!

May l use the back door?

Yes. Follow me.

- Wait! - No! This way!

[screams, yelling in distance]

Come on, come on!

Halt! Halt!

[man yelling, gun fires]

[woman screming, crying]

What's happened?

The Lorenzi family?

That's us.

Get dressed and go outside. You, in.

What is it, Papa?

lt's all right, now go get dressed.

OK. Stay off the street.

Thank your father, Miriam. And may God bless him.

You're welcome, Mrs. Vasti.

♪

You, over there!

Move!

ln here! Quick, quick! Come on!

[engines rumble, tweeting of whistles on street]

- The Germans, they're taking-- - Calm down, calm down!

lt doesn't matter how you get out of the ghetto!

You leave everything and go!

Go warn the others. Go!

You two down the back alley!

Come on, my love. We must be quick.

Yes, yes... All right.

♪

[tweeting of whistle]

[woman cries in distance]

[talking nearby]

This way! Come on! Bring them through!

Clear.

Get in line!

[men yelling in German]

Get up!

Come on!

Over there.

Move it! Come on! Hurry up!

Over there!

He's not my baby! l'm just watching him!

He's not my baby!

That's the mother!

Take your child! Take your child!

[woman crying]

You're in the line. Move out of the way.

Move! Move!

Move!

- Quickly, run faster! - l am!

Where are you going? Stop!

Don't you know the Germans are everywhere?

lf you're not careful, they'll take you as well.

Let me go! My family is there!

Listen to me.

We're going to turn around together

and walk back to where you came from.

No! l need to see them.

Stop it.

You'll get me arrested with all the others.

Please don't cry.

You'll see; they probably got away.

Now you have to think about yourself.

Do you have somewhere you can go?

Look, find a safe place,

and don't come out until tomorrow morning.

- No. - Do you understand?

They're rounding up Jews. Run.

- No. - Go hide!

How long has the raid been going on?

About three hours. They began at dawn.

They moved in on a Saturday,

to make sure they would all be at home.

Where are they taking them?

We haven't found out yet.

We have to stop these arrests.

Call a meeting with

Ambassador Weizsacker immediately.

How forceful should l be?

Extremely forceful.

Tell him...

that if these arrests do not cease at once,

the Pope will make himself heard.

This is so distressing for His Holiness.

Distressing beyond words that in Rome,

right under his nose, so many people

have been made to suffer because of their race.

l phoned the command, Monsignor.

lt doesn't seem that only Jews were arrested.

What is happening here, Ambassador,

is absolutely intolerable.

What is happening, Monsignor,

has been decided at the highest level.

That does not make it more acceptable.

The Holy See does not want to be put in the position

of having to publicly disapprove.

Any protest made by the Pontiff would only make things worse,

radically increasing the number of deportations.

You know, Monsignor, l keep expecting you

to ask me why l haven't given up my position here.

To keep this conversation off the record,

l dread the consequences that even the assumption

of intervention from the Holy See would have.

Every day you remind me more and more of her.

Now go...

l see you later.

[explosion in distance]

♪

Your Holiness...

The meeting with Ambassador Weizsacker

didn't have the result we hoped for.

The arrests are still taking place.

Do you want to make yourself heard?

Your Holiness?

A public announcement would take hours,

not to mention the consequences of it.

These arrests must stop at once.

We have only one chance: Stahel.

Do you want me to go and speak to him?

You'd be too conspicuous.

The General would be forced to refuse your request.

Then who can we send?

[phone rings]

Hello.

Yes.

What?

lmmediately.

Father Pfeiffer!

Father Pfeiffer! Come here!

Who is it?

The Pope.

Hello.

Anything l can do.

l see.

Yes.

And l'll pray for you, Your Holiness.

We'll take care of your car.

Park in the garage.

General.

l assume you know why l'm here.

l have no jurisdiction over what is happening.

The SS is responsible.

The Holy Father should know that.

God only knows how all of this disgusts me.

But l'm telling you l cannot do anything about it.

Nothing.

Go back to the Pope and tell him that l am not the one to blame,

even if l am wearing this uniform.

lt is a general's uniform, though.

These are difficult times, General.

Times of decision,

and you're accountable for these decisions -

to God.

l'm German, like you are.

Why don't we act in a way

that we will not be ashamed of one day?

l'll try and call Berlin.

There, tell him that.

The arrests have not ceased. Call now.

Please.

General Himmler, quickly.

lt's General Stahel.

Please, wait outside.

General Himmler...

l have five divisions assigned to fighting the American advance

and my task is to supply them.

l need the Command to make a decision.

l either use my men to hunt down Jews,

or l use them to supply the troops on the front.

Yes.

What do you mean stop the arrests?

Yes, Reichsführer.

Tell the officers to withdraw their men.

The operation has been suspended.

The reinforcements we were expecting aren't coming.

Yes, Captain.

[gun cocks, fires, man screams]

[soldiers yelling in German, dogs barking]

Quickly, move it!

Father Pfeiffer was successful.

The arrests have stopped.

Speaking to Stahel worked.

Let us pray this gesture doesn't cost him.

Now we must concentrate on the ones who were arrested.

How many are there?

More than a thousand, Your Holiness.

Where are they being held?

On Via della Lungara.

As long as they're kept here in Rome, all is not lost.

We have to bypass Ambassador Weizsacker.

We need to let Berlin know directly

that if there are any more acts of violence against the Jews,

l will take a public stand against the regime.

Should l get our German bishop involved?

Yes.

ln the meantime, let's try to persuade the Germans

to release as many of the prisoners as possible.

How?

They'll never make concessions, but they are Germans.

They won't be able to refuse

if we can come up with a legal pretext.

[engines rumble]

♪

There has been a breach of justice...

These people must be released at once.

lndividuals who are not Jewish,

Jewish people with passports from countries

that are not yet subject to deportation,

children from mixed marriages.

Thank you, Father.

Don't go back to the ghetto.

Find a refuge, or leave Rome.

- God bless you. - Thank you.

May God be with you.

Thank you.

♪

[crickets chirping]

[dogs barking in distance]

Miriam?

Miriam?

Professor Boni?

lt's me, it's Davide.

ln nominee Patris, et Filii et Spiritus Sancti, Amen.

Any response from Berlin?

Forgive me, Your Holiness,

the Polish ambassador has requested a meeting.

What is holding him back from speaking out?

lt was the 26th of July, last year...

The Dutch bishops had explicitly condemned

the persecution of the Jews.

And in the days following the Nazis organized a reprisal,

and 40,000 Jews were arrested and deported.

He had already written a report

supporting the Dutch bishop's words.

lt was supposed to be published the day after.

He didn't even hesitate.

He burned his report.

He said...

if they killed 40,000 innocent people

over the bishop's report,

how many more would they kill over the Pope's?

Try and put yourself in his shoes,

knowing that the entire world

is waiting for you to speak out against Hitler.

Yet for your words,

Hitler will take more innocent lives.

What would you do?

Mr. Lorenzi...

l would very much like to see those 1 6th-century editions.

Papa.

He comes with me.

[engines rumbling]

[flick of switch]

Wait for Papa in the office.

l just need a few minutes

to find the books you're interested in.

You don't remember where you keep them?

l remembered before your men turned everything upside down.

A bit of light would help.

Two minutes, no more.

Papa, Papa.

- Do you want to help papa? - Hmm mm.

Go down there.

Take the extra passes,

walk out the back door and run away.

Where to?

To as far away as you can go.

Please, Riccardo, it's very important.

And you, Papa?

One day you'll be back, you'll knock and l'll be here.

And l need to say tikvà? The password?

Yes, Tikvà.

Papa, Papa.

This is the rarest one.

lt's from the first half of the 1 6th century.

lt must be worth a lot.

lt's the most precious thing l had.

We can go now.

The child?

Where's your son?

You know how children are.

You turn your back for just a moment,

and they disappear.

[chuckles]

[loud bang, man screams]

Papa.

Ah!

[sobbing]

♪

Giovanni...

[knock on door, door opens]

Your Holiness...

l didn't mean to interrupt.

That's all right.

What's happened?

Leave your bag!

Move! Move!

l said leave your luggage!

Ah! ! !

[gun cocks, fires]

Come on, come on!

[dogs barking]

Why wasn't l informed?

You were supposed to tell me

if the prisoners were to be taken away.

You complained to Himmler

that you didn't have enough men to guard them.

l received an order from a higher rank

to have them removed all together.

[train whistle blows]

Lock the doors!

Lock the doors!

Papa?

Papa! Papa!

Miriam!

Papa, no!

Miriam!

Papa, no!

- Get back! - Let me in!

l'm Jewish!

- l'm Jewish too! - You crazy woman!

Ah! !

[doors slam]

[train slowly chugs away]

[sobbing]

♪

[thunder clap]

What are you doing here?

Come, come with me.

Now you're all alone.

l promise... You'll be safe.

Well?

The train has reached Germany.

But that's the last thing anyone knows about it.

You did everything you could, Your Holiness.

Only the Lord can tell me that.

Heil Hitler.

We are ready, General.

lf you give the order,

we can start the initial phase of the operation at once.

Good job, Major Werner.

Stand by then.

Proceed when l give the signal,

and bring the Führer my personal gift...

The Holy Father.

♪

[loud thunder clap]

[bells ring, people chattering]

♪

Oh, Lord.

Now what?

[crowd chatters]

Sorry, l'm afraid there's no news.

We don't know anything.

We don't know where, why, who.

We're all completely in the dark.

lf l knew more, l'd tell you more.

Dante.

Excuse me.

Davide...

Thank God.

How did you manage to get away?

The sewers.

And you?

l improvised.

Jacopo's here.

Lia too, with Ester's child.

Ester was taken.

[woman crying]

Why, Mama?

My son, be strong for Mama.

lt is all right. l am with you now.

You are safe, my son.

Miriam? Her family?

Don't know, l'm sorry.

There's that boy that l think you know over there too.

What are you doing here?

You're not Jewish.

You know that German officer that was hunting me down?

Well, he found me.

l was going back home,

but they were watching my apartment.

When l got there, they saw me,

and when l ran... they shot me.

But l was lucky.

Poetry saved my life.

Lucky thing l gave it back to you, hmm?

Oh, yeah.

And Miriam?

The last time l saw her was in the ghetto,

just before the raid.

So many have been saved.

Not only here, in other places too.

Maybe she's with them.

l hope so.

- Look at them! - What can we do?

What's going on?

Forget about the help we've given to the Communists

and a few starving souls, Father Pfeiffer!

But now, we are forgetting that this is a convent!

lf you don't deal with it,

l'll make sure the superiors find out.

Listen to me...

You will not mention

a word of this to anyone.

And...

Don't even think about leaving the convent,

or using the phone for any reasons at all.

Well, he's right about one thing, though.

l'm just a simple priest.

Higher ranks need to tell us what to do.

[church bell rings]

♪

Papers please.

Hundreds of them have shown up

and we've tried to take them in -

not only the Jews from the ghetto,

but from all the other neighborhoods as well,

Your Holiness.

Now they are at Laterano, San Callisto.

Even in St. Peter's Canonical buildings.

We know.

We know.

Your Holiness...

The Vatican territory cannot be infringed upon,

but our institutions in Rome are inside occupied territory.

The Germans could break in at any moment.

The clergy doesn't know what to do.

They're waiting for a sign.

lf they want a sign from the Pope...

then they shall have it.

Your Holiness, please. Anyone can listen in.

ln fact, l believe it's one of the Lord's

preferred means of communication.

But the Germans monitor our broadcasts.

That's true, Your Holiness.

- You see? - Listen.

[clears throat]

- Ready? - Uh, yes.

May God bless all of you.

How many times have we had to repeat in anguish,

the words of our Divine Teacher...

Father Pfeiffer.

...Misereor super turbam''?

l think it's--

And how many times have we also had to add,

''Non habent quod manducent''?

They have nothing to eat.

Especially when we consider

the many regions devastated by war.

And there never was a time

when we were not aware of the stark contrast

between our own deprivation and the need of the masses,

whose plaintive cries and doleful wails

we now hear ever closer.

We turn to the Christian world

with an unyielding paternal plea for help and mercy.

Same old speech.

Here l am.

l stand at the door and knock.

The convent welcomes all of you.

ln this time that we are together,

l want us to act as one,

so that we can manage an almost unmanageable situation.

But for a temporary society to flourish,

we must establish some rules.

Men and women will be housed separately.

Be strong.

Bye, Daddy.

You'll be allowed to meet at meal times.

Everyone will need to work for the common good together.

None of you will be allowed

to leave the convent, for obvious security reasons.

And for the same reason,

don't ask questions amongst yourselves.

lf any of you should fall into the hands of the Germans,

you can't repeat what you don't know.

l'm sure l don't need to tell you that anyone,

at any moment,

could decide to come in here,

and we won't be able to offer any resistance.

There's only a wooden door separating us

from the assassins, my friends.

lt's been days, Your Holiness, weeks, that this Jewish family

has been permanently living in St. Peter's rectory -

two steps from these apartments.

lf you forgive me for saying so,

we are no longer masters of our own home.

l perfectly understand and share your concern.

Rest assured, we will take care of it.

We are compromising our most precious advantage

in these times - our neutrality.

Those families must be evicted, Your Holiness.

And we will take care of it, Eminence Canali.

[children talking, laughing]

[Pope chuckles]

So, Your Holiness, should l have them evicted?

No, Monsignor.

Leave everything just as it is.

All right... Put it down there.

Give him a hand to put this stuff over there.

Yes, that's right.

Hey, you two!

l need you in the crypt.

We need a place to hide the children

if the Germans should break in.

Come on.

We'll find it in the bags.

Maybe we left it behind?

No, we brought it. l'm sure of it.

We have to find it. We need it.

No, we have to find it now!

Davide, where are you going?

- You're here too! - Davide!

Weren't you supposed to leave Rome

with the passes Armando made for you?

Those passes saved our lives,

but l just couldn't risk the trip with my family.

And Armando and his family - have you seen them?

They were arrested...

Right before my eyes.

This silly piece of paper was all that separated

Armando and Ricardo from freedom.

And what about Miriam?

No, l don't know about Miriam.

l just saw them take her father and brother away.

Are you sure?

l didn't see Miriam either.

She wasn't on that truck.

Thank you, very much.

- Thank you. - Sure.

She's escaped!

They didn't take her!

And now where could she be?

l'm going to start looking in the ghetto,

and then talk to every contact l have.

[crickets chirping, crowd chattering in distance]

l know. That's exactly what l said.

[crowd talking, chuckling]

l would like to propose a toast to our Führer,

and his daring rescue of our faithful ally Mussolini.

To the Führer!

l trust your dinner has been satisfactory, gentlemen.

Would anyone like a cigar?

Oh, no, thank you, General.

Coffee and cognac will be served in the parlor.

lf you would excuse me...

l shall join you in a while.

So, basically, out of the 1 0,000 arrests expected,

no more than 1 ,000 were brought by train.

We lack men.

Many Jews fled, others were warned in advance...

and we weren't able to seal things up fast enough.

And those who escaped

found shelter with friends and relatives.

And even now many are being sheltered by churches -

and even the Vatican.

l can't figure out why the Church

hides and protects the declared enemies.

That is the Jews and the Communists.

Those priests, they all deserve a bashing.

And the Vatican should become our own private museum.

[all chuckle]

[crowd chatters, piano music plays]

What do we have here?

Such soft hands. Too soft for this kind of work.

Oh, there you are.

l was waiting for you in the other room.

Bianca, l was--

Shh.

Now why don't you wait for me in there.

- l'll join you in a minute. - All right.

Would you please stop being so stupid!

Don't be so resistant.

Remember that they're willing to pay 5,000 Lire

for every captured Jew.

Don't make that face.

We're still better off here than ending up

being taken away like the others.

l would rather be dead than stay here.

Aren't you ashamed?

Ashamed? Of what?

Of enjoying life instead of going into hiding like a rat?

l'm going to meet up with some partisans.

Maybe they can tell us something.

When should we meet back here?

ln exactly three hours.

OK. Good luck.

You, General, are excused from any further bother this evening.

You can go home now.

l assume then that the topic of your discussion

does not concern me.

Let me guess...

ls His Holiness the subject of this meeting?

Possibly.

The Pontiff has summoned me.

l could deliver a message on your behalf, General.

That won't be necessary.

l think the Pope will be hearing from us soon enough.

Give him my regards.

lf you'll excuse me.

[crickets chirping, dogs barking]

Armando's.

[glass shatters]

[tinkling of glass]

Tommaso?

- Umberto? - Davide.

You scared me.

What are you doing here?

Oh, l just needed a drink.

l played at the villa tonight.

That's one scary place, believe me.

Want some?

And you? What are you doing here?

l'm looking for someone.

Yeah... Who isn't these days?

Miriam...

Armando's daughter?

l know where she is, but you're not going to like it.

Come on.

l met with the partisans.

Every day we're getting stronger and stronger.

They told me about a few places where the Jews are hiding out.

Maybe we could go and check.

We don't need to. l know where she is.

- Oh, yeah? - Yeah.

What do you mean with the Germans?

What's she doing there?

l don't know... She's just there.

She left with one of the girls

at the ghetto - Bianca - but l don't know why.

And how are you going to get her out of there?

l don't know yet...

But l swear, l'm going to bring her home

if it costs me my life.

Where are you going?

My gosh, Father...

You're worse than the Germans.

l am German.

What are you doing up?

Uh... what are we doing?

We... woke up early to get to work.

You have no idea how much there is still to do.

Good... Let's go.

You do know, General, that we have many

large and small institutes scattered around Rome?

We would like these institutes to be declared inviolable.

You do know, Your Holiness,

that extraterritoriality agreements regard the Vatican

and few other institutes.

Yes, but we've been able to have all of Rome

declared an open city.

Even the Allies have accepted this.

You're speaking about a castle made of sand, Your Holiness.

The Allies won't hesitate to destroy it,

and neither will our people.

Let us speak, General, about who we are,

and not who we represent.

We are human beings.

Do you not agree that each and every man

carries the responsibility of the entire world

upon his shoulders?

l am not one to shirk my responsibilities,

Your Holiness.

But what you are asking me has a very high price.

That is why l pray for you, General.

l am aware of what's going on around me,

what some of your colleagues have in mind for me.

l can't say a word, Your Holiness.

Above all, l'm a soldier of the Reich.

There is no need for you to speak.

l can see through you as if you were made of glass...

And l see a believer,

who in this moment receives a Pope's prayer.

Defend our Holy places, General.

l could ask the partisans for help.

l already saw how good you guys are.

Sure, you're always right, huh?

No, not always.

Show them the hiding place.

Here it is...

Come on, l'll show you.

ln here?

lt's fine, you'll be safe inside.

Leave them alone, Father! You can't force them!

lt's for their own safety, just in case.

[babies cry]

Maybe if they weren't so hungry they wouldn't be so grumpy.

We're all doing our best.

One cup of soup a day isn't enough for anybody!

These people must be fed and cared for every day,

and we are lacking the bare necessities.

We've really reached our limits, Your Holiness.

♪

Your Holiness, we are talking about

hundreds of thousands of meals a day.

The storehouses will be empty in a month.

Then we'll restock them.

Please, please.

We do have some trucks available.

1 50 vehicles were confiscated by the Germans.

There's about 80 left.

Set up a transportation system.

But that will--

lt will go every day, to get flour, oil, meat -

- in Umbria, Tuscany, Abruzzo - wherever they can find supplies.

This could create problems for the Vatican City's provisions.

Monsignor, order our rations reduced.

We've already done so, Your Holiness.

lt's impossible to reduce them any more.

Then we'll economize wherever else possible,

on heating, clothing, petroleum.

Forgive me, Your Holiness, this has come

for your urgent attention from the German command.

General Stahel signed it.

This means all our convents and churches can be

declared extraterritorial.

The Lord is with us.

Forgive me, Your Holiness,

but declaring all our churches Vatican territory

is the same as telling the Germans

that we are hiding refugees.

They already know this, Father.

But now, if they want to enter,

they must disobey a direct order issued by their own command.

lt will be harder for them to enter,

but, by this same reason, if they do come,

they will act without mercy.

And we must be prepared to defend ourselves.

How, Your Holiness?

[church bells ringing]

lf my mother saw me like this...

Mine would be jumping for joy.

[kids laughing]

What are you laughing at? Get out of here, go on!

[choir singing]

♪ Hallelujah... ♪

Good, good! That's the right intonation.

Now, let's imagine that we are in danger.

All of you must hurry here and sing louder...

♪ Hallelujah... ♪

Who art in heaven,

hallowed be Thy name.

Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come...

Thy kingdom come...

What's wrong?

You have your prayers, and l have mine.

Jacopo, this is no time to argue.

Just memorize it.

Oh, and you are the one giving me lessons now?

You're as stubborn as a mule.

Please, just do it!

Father Pfeiffer, it's here!

What are you doing?

l know my position, and you?

We have to do this.

lt's not just for you, it's for us!

No, no, no, no!

Thank you.

- Father Alfredo! - Thank the Lord.

How are you, Monsignor?

This is a fantastic relief.

Thank the Holy Father for us.

He thanks you, and sends his blessings.

Make it last, Father.

Well, you know, apparently the Pope himself ordered it.

Many of the Jews who have escaped the arrests

are hiding in churches and convents.

Stahel has really halted our plans

with this extraterritorial scheme.

Ah, it's no more than a house of cards.

lf Stahel weren't here, it would mean nothing at all.

To be honest, gentlemen, l don't think the General

will be among us for much longer.

And at that point, all we need is an excuse to break in.

And not only in churches and convents -

inside the Vatican too.

My advice to you

is to put an end to this grotesque initiative.

- Listen-- - What initiative?

The abduction of His Holiness.

Don't treat me like l'm stupid.

lt seems that this has become an obsession for you.

l understand that by pulling off this assignment,

you would make a great impression on the Füher,

but let's just say with the way things are going,

it might be better to secure someone else's respect.

Whose?

The hierarchy of the Catholic Church?

Like you are doing, Herr Stahel?

You've accepted defeat, if not committed treason.

They're making schemes inside Papal territory,

organizing the resistance, hiding Jews.

Do you really think all of this

will get past the Führer without him knowing?

No.

They already tried to abduct the Pope once...

people much more powerful than us.

Napoleon abducted Pius Vl from Rome,

and from then on there's been a problem in France.

''Qui mange du Pape en meurt''.

He who lays hands on the Pope will die.

You, Stahel, are the type of officer

that l wouldn't want in my command.

And l don't think l'm the only one who feels this way.

Dismissed.

[engine repeatedly cranking]

Start!

lt won't start?

And now what?

ls there a mechanic here?

l hardly even know how to drive this thing.

Yeah, right, a mechanic here.

You're better off leaving it

and coming back tomorrow morning

with someone who knows how to fix it.

What do you think, Marco?

Sure... Don't worry about it.

Besides, it can't go anywhere, can it?

- Exactly. - OK.

- See you tomorrow then. - No problem.

And thank you.

Don't worry about a thing.

- Bye. - Bye.

All the best.

- Such a shame. - What a pity.

Get out!

What's in the back?

Come on, come and see.

Provisions.

Ja?

To eat... Hmm! Good stuff.

Ja? Ja?

- OK. - Thank you.

Let them pass!

What the hell are we doing here?

Aren't you the one who wanted to be a hero?

A hero, yes, but not commit suicide.

We must be out of our minds.

Come on.

Ah! Put everything inside the pantry.

OK...

You wouldn't know if Miriam was here, would you?

Brown hair... l'm her brother.

Look, my boss is...

lf she's here, she's upstairs.

Now what? Do we just wait for her?

And if she doesn't just come by this way?

l'm going to find her.

And now? What am l supposed to do?

[gasps]

[fork clangs]

Quiet. Be quiet...

l've got a car.

You're coming with me and we'll get out of here.

Are you crazy? Go, leave me alone.

You're coming with me.

They will kill both of us.

Come downstairs with me now.

Hey, you!

What's going on here?

What have you got there?

l asked you a question.

Hey! You! Bring me some cigarettes.

Here you go.

Keep walking, my love.

Just keep walking.

Try and stay calm, for heaven sake.

- l can't do it. - Get in.

Why don't you just leave me alone?

- Miriam. - Marco.

Come on.

OK.

- Are you serious? - Yes, l am.

What is it?

Hold this truck.

- What are you looking at? - Nothing.

- ls something wrong? - Eh, no.

- Let's-- - We're late!

They're waiting for us at the card game.

OK. Let them through.

Go on.

Pull over here.

We can cut through there.

Hey...

When l first met you,

l thought you were a rat and a thief.

But now l know that you deserve Miriam.

There's no greater compliment that l can give you.

l never did introduce myself.

l'm Davide.

Come on.

Out you go. Here.

We have to walk from here.

They could stop us inside the city.

Riding in the van is too risky.

l have a pass, you don't.

They're expecting you at dinner.

Let's cut through here.

Come on.

Why did you take me from there?

What are you expecting now?

lt doesn't matter anymore.

Nothing is the same as it was. l'm not the same as l was.

And if they're still alive? How do you know?

Shut up, please. You're making it worse.

And me?

l don't mean anything?

Don't you understand why l went all the way there?

l was always there for you before.

And still am now.

l won't let you do this to yourself.

ls that clear?

You're alive, Miriam.

Don't you have a bit of respect for those who didn't make it?

Miriam!

Miriam!

But why did l make it... and not them?

So what are you? Crazy or just plain stupid?

Which is it?

So you got away with it once.

l appreciate you saving somebody's life,

but don't risk the lives of others!

You're not the only ones hiding here.

And l'm on to you...

One of those guys who settles everything with a gun.

Now go into the infirmary and get your ankle checked.

Miriam.

Don't worry.

lt will be fine.

You have to show them how it's done, of course.

They need help.

You know, it's really not that uncomfortable.

And it's certainly better not to take it off.

She's right, you know,

especially with all these people coming and going.

Miriam!

Lia.

- Oh, Lia. - Miriam.

You look well. How did you get here?

And the baby?

lt's Ester's.

Ester's?

And your parents?

They're also here. They're doing OK.

Armando and your brother?

Oh, God, l'm so sorry.

l'm so sorry.

Please make sure she stops crying.

Thank you.

Are you the one who's hurt?

Yes.

Sorry for the delay.

We've just had so much to do with the reorganization -

bringing in the babies,

making sure everybody got used to their new role.

So?

Are you the doctor?

You'll have to make do.

Oh, no, no, l didn't mean...

lt's just that you seemed too--

Too what?

Young.

That's one flaw that quickly passes with time.

Nothing's broken, it's just sprained.

Did you study medicine?

l mean, before the war.

No, literature.

You're kidding? Me too.

So, how is that you've learned how to take care of ankles?

l always thought that literature would be enough for me.

Then l discovered that there's more to life than just books,

and that's when l began to help others.

l know what you mean.

Don't put any weight on this foot.

l'll check on you in a few days.

This has arrived this morning.

l warned you.

Anyway...

Soon all hell will break loose here too.

You're an intelligent man, Stahel.

You knew things would end up this way.

Why did you do it?

lf you haven't understood by now, General,

then l doubt l will be able to explain it to you.

[choir singing]

♪ Hallelujah... ♪

l didn't think we'd do such a good job.

See that?

A couple of planks, a bit of paint,

and there you have it.

lf the Germans even step foot into the convent,

we'll all end up trapped like mice.

You're right.

Hiding out is not the best strategy.

We need to fight with the partisans -

at least those of us who are younger.

Even those who are crippled?

lt doesn't hurt anymore.

Professor Boni said the pass worked for him.

We could print one for all of the refugees.

You and l?

And Miriam.

[bell dinging]

[group chattering]

- Mommy, Daddy! - There you are!

Let's go and eat.

[crowd chattering]

Your bowl, please.

There you are.

Hey! Wait for me.

l can't go on like this, Davide.

l can't eat...

l can barely breathe.

l only feel good when l'm with him.

He doesn't ask anything of me.

lt was Armando's.

l knew we'd see each other again,

and l thought you'd like to have it.

Your father wouldn't be happy to see you like this.

And how would you know?

You're not the only one who knew him.

He would have never given up.

He would have hung in there to the very end.

- Stop it! - He loved life!

And l know he would want you to love it too.

We need you to help us print some passes.

lf Armando were here, we would have asked him.

[sobbing]

♪

Eastern front.

l'm sorry, General.

You needn't be, Your Holiness.

l'm used to carrying out orders,

but l wanted to see you again before l leave.

There's no turning back now.

From here on in, all acts will be acts of war.

And l wanted to warn you, Your Holiness, to be careful.

When backed into a corner,

a wild beast becomes particularly ferocious.

l'm bound by an oath that still means something to me,

but there's one thing l want to tell you...

Don't exclude the option of leaving Rome soon.

This is my home...

And the city of Rome is my family.

Where would l possibly go?

May God protect us both, General.

All right... Come on.

l'm going to--

Catch up with your partisan friends.

Meet you back at dawn.

All right.

Wait up...

l'll go and check it out.

♪

l remember when they brought it here.

What a celebration.

My mother was there too.

We had never seen my father so happy.

OK...

Let's get to work.

There's no power.

Now what?

And now, we print them by hand.

Hmm, all right.

- OK? - Yes.

[machine clanking]

No, don't touch it. Let it dry.

Well?

Perfect.

Almost.

You're good at this.

This could become a career for you one day.

Without my father and Riccardo?

Oh, l don't know.

Well, maybe we could find someone to help you.

Hello?

♪

[church bells ringing]

Where is he?

We shouldn't have split up.

[engine rumbling]

Thank you...

For everything.

Marco!

Are you crazy?

Every minute on the street could cost us our lives.

l've got too many important things to prepare.

Sure, important.

l'll tell you what, though.

lf Pfeiffer catches us,

not even the National Liberation Committee

will be able to save us.

Here.

We thought we could negotiate with them

using diplomacy as we've always done.

And you thought they were people

you could reason with, Your Holiness.

lnstead we were speaking to the devil without even realizing it.

[loud boom in distance]

lt's going to rain.

That's not thunder.

The front is getting closer and closer every day.

Satan is at our doorstep.

He wants to undo all the good in the world.

But he won't succeed.

We will prevail by restoring it...

with the help of God.

[brakes squeal, doors slam]

The soldiers! Wake up, everyone!

- German soldiers! - Wake up!

Davide, wake up! The soldiers are here!

You go to the nursery!

l'll run to get the older kids and meet you in the basement!

- OK. - Hurry!

Quickly, to the nursery!

Help me, the Germans are here!

The Germans are coming!

What's going on?!

The Germans!

We have to go and get the babies, Mother Superior!

You two in the church!

Quickly, come quick!

We need to tend to the babies!

Let's go!

Hide all your luggage!

l'm going with you!

[tweeting of whistles]

Line them up against the wall.

Move it!

Get over here!

Quick, let's get them all in the crypt.

- Give them to me. - Here, you take this one.

Take this baby as well.

Up against the wall! Move!

No! They will know you are not a nun.

lt's just as dangerous for him.

- Leave him here. - Please!

We'll make sure he's safe. Don't worry.

He'll be fine! Come on, don't worry!

Come along! You too!

Quickly, kids, come on!

What's wrong?

Wait...

Come on! Hurry up!

[choir singing]

Quickly, quickly...

Under the stairs... Get in.

[German voices approaching]

[women scream]

- Come on! - Shh...

Quickly. Faster.

Quickly. Get them in.

Move... Move down to the end.

Here, you take these two.

- OK. - l'll check with the others.

Hurry up, quickly!

Davide hasn't come with the other children yet.

We can't wait. Close the door.

[crying in distance]

[baby crying]

Shhh...

Raus! Raus!

l'm painting... lt's a Restoration.

Get a move on!

Yes, German soldiers too.

Do something, immediately!

Before things... get worse.

This is an extraterritorial area.

Don't you know the law?

l would ask that you accompany me

down to the church, Father.

ln line!

[choir singing in distance]

Enough!

[gun fires]

Are all these people priests?

Yes, you have my word.

ls that right?

[whispering]

[gun cocks]

[gun fires]

[gun cocks]

You...

Recite a Hail Mary.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

Blessed be thy name.

l will not tolerate such behavior.

You're worse than animals.

Aren't you ashamed?

You should be ashamed of such actions in the House of God.

Over there!

The Lord's Prayer.

The Lord's Prayer, please.

You don't know it?

My son...

[gun cocks]

Have pity on him.

He's an old man, he's half deaf.

You, out here!

You recite the Lord's Prayer then.

No.

So?

l don't know it.

l'm Jewish.

[gun shot in distance, man screams]

My name is Montini, assistant to the Vatican Secretary of State!

Which officer is in charge here?

Tell me your name and rank immediately.

l'm not obliged to.

This disruption violates international agreements.

The Holy Father has been informed.

Withdraw at once, or you and your superiors

will have a major diplomatic incident on your hands.

We were just leaving.

Release the hostages!

That...

is not possible.

Move out!

[truck engine revs]

[crowd murmuring excitedly]

Oh, thank God!

Marco, Marco!

Where's Davide?

He was supposed to take the children down to the cellar,

but he never got there.

What?

The children!

Where are the children?!

[applause, cheers]

Mama! Papa!

Davide...

Davide!

l'm sorry, l'm sorry!

Davide!

lt's all right.

Davide, l thought they had taken you away.

l couldn't have gone on...

l won't let anyone take you away from me.

Do you understand?

♪

Oh, you were so brave.

Good girl.

Oh, my baby! Thank you!

lt's all right. Let's find Mama, huh?

Have an official protest posted

with the Osservatore Romano about what happened.

Stress its importance, and keep it severe.

- Right. - Holy Father!

Well?

All of them were brought to the Regina Coeli prison.

[camera pops]

Thank you for everything, Father Preiffer.

Thank them.

They're the ones who printed the passes.

This will take you to a safe place across the front.

Thank you, Miriam.

l still have the one your father made for me.

Last time l was afraid to use it,

but this time l'm not going to think twice.

We're leaving.

You'll leave here in pairs.

Large groups are too conspicuous.

The first two people.

History won't forget.

l don't work for history;

l work for charity.

Come, it's time.

Bye bye.

May God protect you.

[woman crying]

- Can l have some breakfast? - Yes.

Thank you.

Want some?

l've made up my mind; l'm leaving too.

You want to get across the front?

No... l'm going back to the partisans.

To fight?

They told me about their plan the other night.

lt's a major action.

Are you all crazy?

Rome is hanging on by a thread...

This isn't the time for major actions.

Have you noticed?

lf you look at the cupola from here,

it almost seems as if you can reach out...

and touch it.

But when you get closer, it seems to move beyond reach.

My father made a ton of money off the regime.

l'm ashamed of him.

But l've never had... the courage to confront him.

My whole life, l've tried to achieve something

that has always escaped me.

What are you doing?

Quickly, Father Pfeiffer.

You can't do this!

You can't do this to me!

- Davide! - Calm down!

lt's for your own good.

l'll be the one who decides what's good for me!

Open this door!

l'm sorry, Marco.

l'm not going to let you go and get yourself killed.

- Let me out of here! - l'm sorry.

Let me out of here! Davide! Davide!

lt's clear. Come on.

[explosion]

[yelling on street, tweeting of whistles]

[phone rings]

[phone rings]

Yes, Captain.

As for your directions, General,

l've worked up two scenarios to kidnap the Pope.

One of them is a simple abduction,

while the other would have a more lethal outcome.

Once we have the Pope,

we'll concentrate on finding the rest of the Jews

hidden in the convents.

[whispering]

The Prefecture has confirmed -

it was a bomb.

Dozens died.

They'll retaliate.

They'll take it out on the population.

All our efforts to keep the war at bay have been useless.

The Germans are already in place,

arresting the inhabitants in the area.

We have to find out what they have in mind

and try to stop them.

Nobody's able to speak with them, Your Holiness.

Not the Prefect, not the Chief of Police.

Let's try to contact them directly

through our own channels, but quickly.

[yelling in German, dogs barking]

Father! Halt!

l'm Father Pfeiffer.

l'd like to speak to the commander.

Nein!

Go away!

l've come directly on behalf of--

l said no!

Come! Out!

Move it! Let's go!

♪

[gunfire in distance]

On via Ardeatina, Your Holiness.

The Salesians in the area saw them.

Hitler ordered ten civilians executed

for every soldier that was killed -

more than 300 people.

The young, the old - they killed all of them.

♪

[radio communication blares]

We must absolutely defend our positions, gentlemen,

so that our troops can retreat to the north

without losing too many men.

Cut off communications, access to bridges, streets.

ln other words, fortify Rome to crush the advancing enemy.

- Gentlemen. - General.

General...

We must react now, General.

The situation is deteriorating.

lf we don't abduct His Holiness immediately,

l cannot guarantee his safe transfer.

l understand.

l'll have my men ready.

The final act of this tragedy is approaching,

and l will have a role in it.

l could be abducted, taken hostage,

used in an exchange.

With this, l officially step down from the papal throne.

lf something should happen to me,

it won't have happened to the Pope...

but to Cardinal Pacelli.

But we have to avoid any such incident.

Your Holiness must leave Rome immediately.

You can take shelter in Spain

until the situation quiets down.

We will not leave St. Peter's for any reason.

This is our diocese.

We're staying here.

However, you may do as you see fit.

Remember what happened in Munich, Your Holiness,

when that revolutionary pointed his gun at your heart?

l wanted to leave, to escape.

And the only reason l didn't,

is because you stayed there.

That time l realized,

it doesn't matter where you are;

my place is at your side.

The time has come to speak to the faithful...

Directly.

[radio broadcast] We'll get the signal from St. Peter's Square in Rome,

where the Pope, His Holiness, Pius Xll

is due to make a speech.

We have condemned this war

over and over again.

This terrible plague that has come upon us

for having ignored the church's supplication for peace.

Thank all of you who have supported us

in offering assistance.

Yet at this moment our hearts are restless,

restless for our tormented city, Rome,

and its citizens,

who have been wounded, mutilated and killed.

Our personal suffering is nothing compared to your pain,

your restlessness,

which hurts and saddens the deepest part of our hearts.

Today the whole civil and Christian world

has its eyes fixed on Rome.

We don't want to believe that this city

could be transformed into a battlefield,

into a stage for war.

Commanders, armies,

those of you, who by virtue of your power,

have the option to choose...

l beseech you,

so that your memory

is not cursed upon the face of this earth

for centuries.

[cheering, appplause]

♪

To you we turn for help, exiled sons of Eve.

To you we raise our sighs,

as we suffer and cry in this valley of tears.

♪

♪

The destiny of this war seems to have been decided.

l've accepted to come, Your Holiness,

because l believe with your help

we can negotiate a separate peace settlement

with only the Western forces,

excluding the Soviet Union.

No.

l think you accepted to see me for another reason.

l think you wanted to meet me face to face.

lt's not at all honorable to strike an adversary

without first looking him in the eye.

l don't know what you're talking about.

Oh, but you do.

You and l have danced this dance of death without even meeting.

l did so because l was forced to.

But you...

Why did you do it, General?

l followed the orders l was given.

And what do those orders call for?

To kidnap me?

To kill me?

To destroy our city?

By resisting, we guarantee our army a safer retreat.

By resisting, you bring about the sure suffering

of hundreds of thousands of civilians,

and the destruction of Rome.

Here l am, General.

This is what my strategy entails.

Do with me what you will.

This has already happened many times before,

throughout the history of Christianity.

But it has never prevented us

from prevailing over our old enemy.

That is not the point.

The point...

The point is that you refuse to accept

that my country is at war.

Every act, every decision of mine is influenced by this.

l'm a soldier.

No!

No!

Above all, you are a man,

one of God's creatures.

Evil.

Evil is our old adversary, General.

lt resides within each of us.

Darkness and light, that's what men are made of.

The darkness destroys them;

the light nourishes them.

lt may seem trivial to you, but it is not.

l don't know what you're trying to get at.

l am trying to see, in the depths of your being,

if there is still a ray of light...

lf the light of the Lord can still illuminate

the darkness that invades and afflicts your soul.

Do you really, consciously,

surrender to darkness?

To suffering?

No man can truly want that.

Look at me.

No creature of God could want that.

And you are one of God's creatures, General.

May l ask a favor of you?

♪

What did you say, General Wolff?

You're the one that gave the order.

Mission cancelled...

We are retreating.

♪

[glass shatters, cheering, applause]

lt's OK, open it.

[cheering, applause]

Come with me.

OK.

Miriam!

Riccardo!

Oh, Riccardo.

You're alive...

You're alive!

l found you.

Tikvà.

[both crying]

♪

They have left, Your Holiness.

They didn't even fire one shot

and no one shot at them.

Rome is free.

Free...

But deprived of so many of her children.

Will you take a walk with me, Monsignor?

Without any escorts or guards?

[tearfully] Only the two of us.

♪

[guards murmuring]

♪

[crowd applauds]

Thank you, my Lord,

for having brought an end to this dark night,

for having shown your servant the light of the new day.

♪