Original subtitles

Hurry up!

- No, I'm not coming! - Come on, don't be silly!

- I said no! - Come on, Darling!

How can I help you, Ma'am? Look what lovely oranges we have today.

Take it from me, they're wonderfully sweet and juicy.

... the old city of Ghent, in Flanders.

Here you go.

Excuse me, Sir. Do you know where the Coupure canal is?

The Coupure canal?

I'm not from Ghent. I'm Alsation. I don't speak Flemish.

Okay, you have to cross the marketplace and carry on in that direction.

After the second bridge, you'll find the Coupure.

Thank you very much. Very kind of you.

Quiet down, you!

Come on up.

It was very kind of you to see me like this.

You know, I'm quite worn out. I don't know the city.

The Coupure canal is very nice.

I don't want to bother you...

Anyway, I'm here now.

I liked your book a lot. A lot.

It's been out of print for nearly 20 years, so I hadn't read it...

It really struck me.

I decided almost immediately to attempt to recreate this character ...

... of Benvenuta in a screenplay

So complex...

So...

Erotic and right enough to... So...

Anyway, so right that she dares to...

Yes?

I told myself that...

Given that Benvenuta was...

... probably based on your own personal experiences...

... perhaps you could tell me about it. - Benvenuta isn't me, I'm sorry.

I see.

I don't want to be indiscrete, anyway.

See... this Italy...

The Italy around Benvenuta...

The Italy of Livio...

You knew it, described it.

I don't know it, you see.

I'm interested in Benvenuta's history.

Perhaps you could speak to me about Milan, about Napoli.

About Livio, so ambiguous.

I was thinking of using your childhood in Ghent...

... for Benvenuta's childhood, if you don't mind.

One among French and Flemish.

- Would this be okay? - Benvenuta's childhood is her business.

... you'll have to speak to the editor.

As for my childhood, well...

I believe it would work, Ma'am.

Do you know the quote by Rilke?

The one that goes...

"One never gets their childhood back, but right to the end it nourishes."

Rilke was speaking about himself.

He was never close to anyone.

I'm also interested in her memories of the First Communion.

The wafer received as a form of love.

The life of Benvenuta with her friend, Inge.

A great friend. A pianist as well.

- With whom she shared... - Nothing but a ghost.

Inge was just a friend she made along the way. A terrible pianist, for that matter.

But, if this will help you...

It wouldn't be bad if she shared a room with Benvenuta. A house...

... and two pianos.

They shared secrets.

And then, Inge would move away from Benvenuta.

And have her own adventure with some guy...

... who would break her heart. - You're just free-wheeling!

No, Ma'am...

It would be like a minor relationship...

... to complement the main relationship between Livio and Benvenuta.

- You say as much yourself, I believe? - I say everything, I say nothing...

And anyway... do whatever you like. I'm sure this is what you're paid for.

Of course.

From what I gather, you're looking for anecdotes on Italy.

And the upper city in Bergamo is full of hunchbacks, cripples, and the unhappy.

"When I woke up alone in the mornings, alone on the slopes of Gombito..."

"... the horns were playing melodies of love."

"The children have a guttural accent like the Flemmish children of Antwerp."

Is this the kind of thing you're interested in?

Could be, Ma'am.

Yes.

So you wish to feed on my childhood?

And you come to me to ask me if I mind?

Yes.

I'll never do it!

You've already said that and I don't want to hear it again, understand?

Come on!

Inge, my darling, come on!

- You've almost got the rhythm, darling. - That damn rhythm!

Okay, think what you like.

You have to try it slowly.

Separated.

Try it once more, at the right tempo.

I'll get it!

Take a look at this.

Well, it's a love letter...

"I am a man that wears a mask and you remove my mask..."

"A disappointed man who has never felt in complete control..."

"I speak not of control of the body but..."

"That of the soul."

I was in Milan, preparing for our concert.

At a party thrown by the Belgian Consolate. A music critic was annoying me...

These look wonderful. Won't you have one?

No, I don't drink alcohol, thank you.

And... and Stravinski was in the habit of saying: "Never ever cut!"

We were shoulder to shoulder for several minutes...

Him, with his back turned to me. Big and brazen.

With a military air.

No, but you already told me this story in Rome last year.

Please excuse me, Miss! I'm so sorry.

I haven't ruined your nice dress, I hope?

Giuseppe, a ros� for the lady. I'm extremely sorry.

He introduced himself.

He had heard me playing Stravinski in Rome, during the tour of Italy.

I wanted to tell you...

... how much I liked your Stravinski piece with RAI last month.

Thank you.

I'm flattered, Sir.

Are you an official, or...

I don't know, a surgeon? - A judge, Miss.

Where others cure the heart or the soul, I cure the violation of human rights.

I tell him that I like Milan.

He seems offended. Him, so proud of his Neopolitan blood.

So I tell him that I liked Napoli as well.

Such nonsense. So he starts making fun of me.

You would probably like Mount Vesuvius, Posillipo as well...

And above all Capri, he tells me.

Are you Milanese, Sir?

Milanese, me? No, no, Miss.

No, I have Nepolitan blood.

Look at my hand.

See?

The heart line...

The soul line...

And the melancholy line.

That bears a name that cannot be uttered...

... without bringing bad luck.

Therefore they open...

Bloom...

Just as in love, the stems and the leaves stretch out...

Begin to unfurl. Fill with colour...

"Take on form and solidity, protruding from my cup of tea."

Good. To our friendship, then.

Poor friendship, already condemned.

Why?

Well, you lived far away. When are you planning on leaving?

Tomorrow, I have rehearsals.

I see.

Don't you enjoy a challenge?

They try.... they always try.

I bet that he even tried it with the French girl at the party...

He writes beautifully.

How very original, this part: "To leave is also to die a little..."

He is Italian, you know.

You're not going to reply, I hope?

- I hope you're not going to send that! - I think I might be madly in love.

You're crazy!

Completely crazy, gone in the head.

No, I want him. I want that man.

- Are you coming? - No, I'm not coming. I'll see you tomorrow at school.

He left us too soon...

Yes...

Too soon.

Didn't you like his songs?

- Is it true that you once... - Leave my father out of this...

... he has nothing to do with your story.

Benvenuta lived in Ghent.

- She will have had a father, no? - I told you, it's nothing to do with me.

Drink this. It's a H�res, from before the War.

- Don't you drink? - No.

From what I've read, your father loved H�res.

And you accused him of drinking it in secret.

Because my mother maintained that alcohol was the blood of the Devil.

My mother was a very devoted woman.

She even collected those little Saint Anthony medals.

Anyway, she had her moments of happiness.

- "Any occasion was good for a dance." - She loved to dance.

I remember her clear laugh ringing through the entire house...

- Was it this house? - No.

- It was opposite the fish market. - Will you show me it?

You know very well that I never go out.

And your dog?

There's a neighbour who takes him out for me.

Until 7, given that you're here.

And that he won't tolerate your presence.

Thank you for being so tactful.

I'm not a monster, you know.

Whenever he got into one of his rages, my father would scream in German.

You could hear his voice from the stairs.

I don't remember much about our house in Wissenburg.

The little pointed roofs and the German border so close.

My mother scorned him because he abandoned his career in the military.

Her name was Fia. She was Alsatian, like my father.

I don't believe that she loved me very much...

I didn't begin writing out of passion.

I wrote to earn a living.

That's how I discovered how much I liked writing for others.

But only on request, so as to better hide myself.

My parents had divorced. I was 15-years-old.

I can't tell you...

How I managed to survive for those first three years.

Just know that it left me...

The nostalgia of purity.

My little Fran�ois, I've read Rilke too.

Very well.

Livio says to Benvenuta:

"You're an enchantress."

Some kind of sorcerer, no?

No. A witch, A hag...

Well?

I see that you see through everything, Jeanne.

I don't know if I dare...

Dare, Fran�ois, please dare.

I despise H�res.

It's too late.

Welcome to Milan.

Wonderful. All that time I thought that the train was empty.

This is my welcome.

Well, my darling, will you always be welcoming to me?

Hello, Livio.

- I'll take you to a restaurant. Are you hungry? - No, I already had breakfast on the train.

Very good. If you want to get to work right away...

... perhaps I can take you to see Piazza della Scala or the spires of the cathedral.

Actually, I didn't come here to work.

Then... what did you come here to do?

Is my hotel far from here?

Via Manzoni. It's right next to La Scala. A nice hotel...

Very quiet.

Next to La Scala?

Good. Okay, take me to Via Manzoni.

Livio Carpi. I made a reservation.

Porter! Please, Room 110.

I'll leave my luggage here.

I hope that I didn't hurt you too much.

With the ring...

- And now nothing more can prevent it... - Prevent what, darling?

That which has happened between you and I.

I don't think I'll be on top form tomorrow.

- You have to leave now? - Yes, unfortunately I have to get back to Via Santo Spirito.

My ex-sister-in-laws are moving ahead with the house.

They're working for my son, Federico. One of them, Valeria, manages the telephone.

The other one, Virgilia, has the keys. And she's very jealous..

I'll tell her everything, of course.

But I always try to exaggerate a little.

That way she knows everything, yet at the same time knows nothing.

My darling, are you listening to me?

Good.

Well...

Goodbye.

But... you're already here?

Lose the hat, it makes you look olde.

Okay. Coach number 6. Seat 42.

Excuse me.

- For the lady. - Hand me the suitcase, I'll take care of it.

And like that...

Here we are, condemned to absence once again.

Condemned to write.

- Will you write to me? - Every day.

Everything beautiful on this earth must also be sad.

- To leave... - ... is also to die a little. I know.

Give me your scarf.

Pacco Rabanne and napthalene.

Tell me everything.

- Come on, what are you waiting for? - Nothing. - Tell me everything now!

- Did you at least miss me? - Not at all.

I'm sure you're missed enough.

How wonderful...

... love is.

You're completely crazy. I'm cold.

Quick, get in.

Come here, I'll warm your feet up.

That's it.

Tell me what the room was like.

And him? What was he like? Tell me!

Tell me everything.

- What was he... - No, Inge...

I can't go back to that day.

Don't you see?

Your feet are freezing!

Dad...

Take me in your arms.

Hold me tightly.

I'm cold...

So very cold.

Listen.

"Perhaps you will find it strange that I, the seductor..."

"... the debauched, dreamt about the Rock of Amethysy..."

"... that perfect purity guarded by four lions."

"You know that in search of happiness, I've never been interested in anything but the soul."

"In God's design everything has its place, like in a perfect puzzle..."

"Just as long as you can find the right piece."

"Knowing that your were standing in the street with eyes raised..."

"You can't immagine the amount of tenderness with which I turned on the lights in the hall."

"Knowing that your were standing in the street with eyes raised..."

"You can't immagine the amount of tenderness with which I turned on the lights in the hall."

"Almost like signals."

"Signal fires to warm you out there in the darkness."

If you find my bitterness excessive...

... please consider that I found myself up against...

... immense difficulties in life, at just 14-years-old.

Already mistreated...

... and deprived of all innocence.

Nobody has ever been able to stay so long with their head under water.

Under what?

Head under water.

Ah, yes. Head under water.

And literature was my only way to remedy such angst...

... and such...

Such frustration.

Such frustration.

Here you go.

Don't stray too far, okay?

Just leave it to me.

It's years, an eternity since I've been here.

I felt the sudden need to take a walk...

... here, with you. - And that's just what we're doing.

This way?

No, it's that way. You go that way.

Ah, yes. I remember. It's that way.

It was used to be so quiet here. Above all in the mornings.

- And when my father woke me up... - Sir, can you move to the side, please?

Thank you.

Please excuse me.

He woke you up?

To listen to the birds.

Ah, yes. In the garden.

In the garden?

Come on, it's this way.

- Jeanne! Are you crazy or what?! - No, but maintain your distance...

... my dear Fran�ois.

- Shall we go in? - No, it's not for me.

Well, shall we sit down or what?

It smells of petrol and fried food.

I want some chips.

Come on, let's go and get some.

Is it for you or me?

Federico injured at Monza. Miraculously escapes death.

I've done a terrible thing. Forgive me, forgive me.

I love you more than ever. Look out for my letter

... your Livio.

Who's Federico?

His son.

He races for Ferrari at Monza.

Why don't you call him?

I'll wait for the letter.

The Rock of Amethyst.

The Rocks of Amethyst.

"At dawn, his condition suddenly worsened."

"I saw it as God putting me to the test once more."

"On my knees, in my room, I surrendered."

"And vowed never to see you again."

"This vow tore me to pieces."

"At 8 O'clock I found out that his condition was improving. Such sensational relief."

"Perhaps you will find it strange that I, the seductor..."

"... the debauched, dreamt about the Rock of Amethyst..."

"... that perfect purity guarded by four lions."

"You know that in search of happiness, I've never been interested in anything but the soul."

"In God's design everything has its place, like in a perfect puzzle..."

"Just as long as you can find the right piece."

"In saving Federico, I will save myself. Save our love..."

"... against sins of the flesh."

"For the best, Benvenuta, my love. For the best."

Livio.

So, he's leaving you.

It's his most beautiful letter.

Anyway, he's leaving you.

He never loved me truly.

You're not going to Milan then?

How... how does he understand me so well?

You'll write to him, and he'll write back. Will you still write to one another?

And I'll write to him.

And he'll write back.

And I'll write to him!

- But he's leaving you. - Be quiet!

You don't know anything, don't understand anything! So why do you say anything!?

Look what you've done! You stupid idiot! Bitch!

"I organize my life around the coming and going of the postman."

"You'll never know how breathless your letters sometimes leave me."

"You have a good point that I'm nothing but a Jansenist..."

"... and that we cannot do anything in love without the power of religion."

- "It really shocks me sometimes..." - Another coffee, please.

"Nevertheless..."

"You are..."

"... right."

"We must..."

"... respect..."

"... the vow."

That came out well.

Yes... I do write well.

Yes, it's true, you write very well. Can I see?

But, Dad... I...

Yes, it's wonderfully written.

You have beautiful handwriting, too. And there are no mistakes.

"...we cannot do anything in love without the power of religion."

- Very well put. - Yes, but I didn't write it.

Dad, you shouldn't be reading that. I would prefer it if you didn't.

Your handwriting is so clear.

You'll have to rewrite my songs for me.

I have two new works.

And I can't find the old ones anymore. I looked all over the entire house.

Let's see if I remember. Will you help me?

"In the blue of your eyes..."

"... you stole my soul away..."

"In the..." No, that's not how it goes.

Anyway, you never liked my songs, did you?

Admit it.

No, Dad. That's not true...

Anyway, I know that... For you, there wasn't enogh...

Anyway...

I love you very much.

Waiter!

Do you remember the words to this song?

"In the blue of your eyes..."

No, that's not how it goes.

"The flower of my heart..."

"... is shackled, my lady..."

- "What kind of witchcraft..." - I've got it, yes!

"What kind of witchcraft..."

"... do you practice..."

"... my lady..."

"With your blue eyes..."

"... you shackle..."

"... my heart!"

Albert, we'll be late for Mass again!

And we'll miss the opening.

We're always late.

Yesterday...

... I went to listen to the Mass of Saint-Jacques, because it was his day.

And your father hadn't arrived at the epistolary yet. I was waiting for him...

And then all of a sudden...

... I feel a tightness inside...

... like some kind of spirit is inside me!

And I feel completely drained by this spirit.

And then...

An angel appears...

... who holds in his hands a long spear made of gold.

All wreathed in flames.

And then...

He flaps his wings seven times!

Everything goes silent.

Then, he says to me...

"You, the chosen..."

"... must decide in this moment."

I'll tell you the rest later, it's late. Albert!

I should be going.

If you find my songs...

... put them in the black folder.

Dad!

Your songs...

Your songs, it was me...

I burnt them!

The wafer...

... is to be held between the lips.

Without touching it with you teeth.

It is the flesh and blood of Christ.

Hold it in your mouth.

Do not chew.

Close your eyes.

Let it melt and then swallow.

If you chew it...

... the blood of Christ will flow in your mouth.

I never chewed.

Never.

"Never for a moment..."

"... does the thought of you leave me."

"The sensation of happiness..."

"... is sometimes so acute..."

"... the penetrating will..."

"... the unheard ecstasy..."

"... and I suddenly feel the need to die."

"To defy everyone."

"When I see your handwriting..."

"When the postman hands me your letter..."

"... brimming with..."

"... clearer thoughts..."

"... thoughts more violent than mine."

"Nevertheless..."

"... we must ..."

"... respect the vow."

This isn't bad.

Listen, Jeanne...

You must have seen Naples at some point, with Livio or somebody else. - No.

I mean, yes.

But the path of the two lovers, that is to see Napoli.

At least, the neighborhood of Livio's childhood, I came up with that myself.

You should mention the bread hanging in the street.

From one window to the other. And the second-hand market.

Cheese with horseradish.

This is good too.

At our house we ate it with oven chips and fish.

Every Friday for lunch.

What's the name of that other wine I should drink?

Lacryma Christi.

The slopes of Mount Vesuvius. Mergellina.

Livio liked Lacryma Christi a lot.

Wine.

Bread.

Fish.

I'm going to see the place and take a few photographs.

I can't write anything without seeing it.

Smoked salmon.

Do as you like, Fran�ois. Don't worry about it.

I'm going to take a look at this Villa of the Mysteries.

I'll need five days.

And two for the journey.

Seven days.

One whole week.

So... you won't be coming Friday?

For me that's fine.

Everything will be fine.

There are days that I really...

We have to check the tuning of the Steins when we get there.

What time are the rehearsal rooms available in Madrid? - Friday at 5.

We'll get there just after 3. Miguel will pick us up from the hotel.

There will be a stopover that means we'll be delayed for a couple of hours.

A stopover?

- But it's a direct flight. - I could meet you at the evening rehearsals.

- If you leave a little earlier in the morning. - I hope you're not going to Milan!

Don't even think about it!

Weren't you just telling me to be punctual when attending rehearsals?

With all the delays in Italy and the lost cases...

- Besides, you decided not see one another. - But I don't want to see him.

I just want to call him from nearby. From Milan Airport.

To know that he's there... To know that I could see him.

But only to know it.

You're looking for problems right before the concert.

And what should I do if you don't make it in time?

You're playing with fire. And for what? For a stupid phone call.

Excuse me...

Sorry, but could you tell me where I can find another payphone?

I don't understand, the phones are over there. - Yes, but...

Could I not use your private phone? There are too many people over there.

I'm sorry, Ma'am. We're in transit. The offices are not accessible from here.

It's a very personal phonecall. I didn't want to...

I could let you outside...

... but I wouldn't advise it, the flight for Madrid is set to board in 10 minutes.

Oh, God...

Come with me, I'll see what I can do.

Please...

Good morning.

Excuse me...

This nice lady wishes to make a phonecall.

In private.

In private?

I see.

I'll leave you alone.

The phone is just over there.

Make yourself at home.

Thank you very much, that's very kind of you.

It's me!

Benvenuta!

- Benvenuta? Where are you? In Milan? - Yes!

In Malpensa.

- At the airport. - Could you call me in an hour?

Call you in an hour? But...

My flight is leaving for Madrid.

I can't.

I can't!

You can't speak to me?

You're not alone?

Two... two minutes.

Hello?

Yes?

7... 2... 3...

8... 2...

9.

Alright, okay...

Bye.

Ah, I remember. Istanbul. The suitcase.

No, your suitcase isn't here.

Yes, it's at Central. Narcotics Section.

Narcotics!

I've told you, it's not here.

Sorry, but you think that we stole your suitcase?

Livio? I have to catch my flight to Madrid!

I have to talk to you.

I only have a minute!

What... what did you say?

I only have a minute!

Please, speak slowly. Move away from the receiver.

I can't understand you.

Can you hear me now?

I can hear you just fine.

God, such a torture!

To have you so close and yet not be able to see you.

It'a my fault.

It's all my fault.

I should've warned you.

No. It's my fault, Benvenuta. It's me...

No. Livio, darling...

I've been... I've been so stupid.

I wanted... I just wanted...

... to be closer to talk to you. - Call me tomorrow.

But...

I can't.

I can't!

I'll write to you.

Tomorrow morning at 10. I'll wait by the phone.

I can see you, too.

Take a flight tomorrow instead.

- Bye, I love you. - Me too, darling.

I love you.

I love you so much.

Would you like a cup of coffee, Miss?

A nice cup of coffee. Strong.

Yes.

A very strong cup of coffee.

Hello?

Two coffees for 105, please. Thank you.

Inge!

- Thank you. - Not at all.

Is it you?

- Yes... - I can't see you this morning. I have to go to the office.

There was an attempted murder last night.

- Sorry, what time is it now? - 7 O'clock.

7...

But... I have to catch a flight.

Couldn't you drop by for just a minute?

My God!

To know that you're so close and not be able to hold you in my arms...

It torments me!

- Where can I call you in Madrid? - At the hotel, "The King of Spain".

In the afternoon.

But, Livio...

- An attempted murder, where? - By the canal, just two hours ago.

It's a terrible thing for me.

I'll explain everything, right now I have to get to the office.

- They're waiting for me. - At the courthouse?

I always carry the amethyst stone that he gave to me.

Even when naked in the shower, I never take it off.

I went into some church and I prayed.

"Blessed Virgin Mary..."

"Please help Livio resist the desire to touch me..."

"...to protect me by the vow."

"But also make him want me even more, make his desire even stronger."

Then I knelt down...

With my hands holding my stomach.

Eyes, modestly lowered. Like her.

- In the heart of the rock... - Prisoner...

Protected in prayer by the Amethyst.

- Did you cry? Tell me the truth. - No.

Then you didn't pray properly.

Claire made a vow to the Virgin Mary that if her father was saved...

... she would never see Fabrizio again.

Consequently, she decided to meet him only in the dead of the night. Without seeing him.

That way...

While respecting the vow, Fabrizio came to see her every night.

And gave her a son.

Yes, love is blind.

And what should stop me... from seeing Livio.

Just to see him...

Yes...

I can feel the small demon of perjury...

... becoming restless inside me.

But I told myself: "That's something..."

"... the God of astral love will decide."

See? I'm wearing my blue tie.

Very nice.

Did you buy it at the seaside?

You're so tanned.

Makes you look much younger, you know.

- Would you like something to drink? - No.

Well... yes, okay.

The other day I was taking a long walk down on the beach.

And there was a dog barking and seagulls flying all around it.

And suddenly... everything was clear to me.

The seagulls are the soul...

... and the nostalgia of the world.

The dog is the body.

The desire of the earth.

You treat me like a whore.

Animal!

Please leave.

Astral love...

The Rock of Amethyst...

Such nonsense!

I believe that our good Lord...

... wouldn't be too happy with us.

Forgive me, Livio.

I've known since the very beginning, I saw it coming.

It's not your fault. It was me who asked for it.

We'll be punished...

... Benvenuta.

What we're doing is terrible.

You speak in such a way...

You're sad.

Yes, I can see that you're sad.

No, what do you mean? Perhaps it's the music.

I was thinking about how my son, Federico, looks at me.

When we're at the table...

... he eats without saying a word.

I don't like the way he looks at me.

I should have respected the vow.

It's my fault.

Livio, look at me.

I was the one who wanted it.

I know why Federico looks at me that way.

You know.... I've never been particularly welcomed at the office.

For them... a person from Naples...

... is nothing but a monkey. A monkey with a brain, of course, but...

I shouldn't complain.

Surrounded by talented men, good advisors...

... but I'm alone. Alone inside. Alone on the stage.

I should have stayed in Naples.

In my little square.

Near St. Patrizia church.

But no, I didn't everything! I did the impossible...

... to improve my position. To go higher, go higher!

Above all, to never give in!

Understand? Do you understand me?!

I would see the others, coming and going, always the same antics...

... the same movements, the same faces. All the same.

As if they were one and the same. And well, I won't become one of them!

Understand me? Otherwise life would be... without purpose.

To get there, just to get there!

There was no other solution for me. To get there, but...

Do you know "get there" means?

Do you remember when your train entered the station? It stopped!

It had got there! Do you remember?

But in the evenings...

When I come home...

I find Federico who eats without uttering a word in my direction.

I notice him looking at me.

As one would look at a well-trained beast.

I can't stand it.

So I come home later. Yes, always later.

What is it? What's wrong?

Thank you.

Good heavens, have you gone mad?

Are you cold?

Livio, I want a dog.

Pompeii.

The Gulf of Naples.

The thing which struck me about the Villa of the Mysteries was the silence.

Even though there were tourists there. English, I think.

As much as they were talking... their voices weren't from this world

They couldn't break the silence.

In pluvium.

The garden at the centre of the peristyle.

This is where the warden will take the only photo of our two lovers.

Livio will take Benvenuta by the arm.

Bows his head towards her.

He would smile.

Livio is at her right side.

He gives her his left arm, and she takes it.

He bows... smiles at the warden.

Then searches for a tip while she takes back her camera.

The photo will be out of focus but you can make out the two shadows.

Wait for me here.

Excuse me, can take a a stroll around the grounds? We'd like to have a look...

- No, it's closed! All of Italy is closed today. - Come on, just for two minutes.

- I can't, I'm sorry... - Please, the lady is visiting from abroad...

We just wanted to have a quick look around. Two minutes...

Just two minutes. Don't worry.

- Come on, my dear. - You'll get me in big trouble!

It'll be fine, I tell you. It'll be fine.

Sir, please, don't go out of sight!

Okay, we'll be good!

If they find out, they'll sack me!

And then in 1910 during the excavations of Pompeii they discovered this villa.

That has the air of a Pompeiian commune...

... with the peristyle, the little garden. Come and have a look, it's very beautiful.

A lovely courtyard.

A house just like any other.

Dotto. dotto... Vi ho pregato. Voi avete detto solo due minuti.

Tenete, su.

Don't worry, nothing will happen. Nothing will happen...

You want me to take your photo? Don't worry, I'll take care of it...

Here we go. Right away...

Hold it, hold it...

Don't move.

Look, look at me! Say cheese!

Should I take another?

One, two...

There we go!

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius occured in 79 A.D.

In the space of a few hours...

... everything was destroyed.

There, do you see?

A Pompeiian villa.

A Pompeiian villa like any other, except... come here.

Except for one isolated room.

Come on, this way.

With the mysterious wall painting...

... that reveals the entire ritual.

He stood there smiling, while...

... she entered the room of mysteries.

He says nothing.

She didn't know anything. She knows everything.

She recognizes it in amazement.

She has seen all of this. The initiation, the sacrament...

The initiated is covered by a veil.

Two servants prepare something.

Someone plays the lute.

Initiation.

The frightened woman pulls back the veil.

The initiated is then flogged.

Someone dances to the sound of the snake.

And did she keep his letters?

And hers to him?

Some, yes.

There were some beautiful passages.

He wrote every day. Even twice a day.

So she kept them.

Did he write well?

Oh, it was always a jumble.

But every once in a while, a pearl.

"Passing Parma, my darling. Passing Piacenza..."

"The train runs through two hedges powdered with snow."

He wanted her to write to him every day.

She promised to keep a diary and send him pages, but...

... she wrote it but didn't post anything.

She couldn't imagine him anymore and all her memories seemed to dry up.

But she wrote... and he replied to them all.

Ignoring the last fragments...

... of their dwindling love.

Going to Naples with him, she already knew that the drought was close.

Here, you will find your seats are in exactly the middle of the hall.

Such a shame that they've sold out.

- Why? - Why? Because I wanted to go.

We'll come another time.

The concert hall is incredible. The floors aren't stand-by but...

... Dalloni, Italian... the best pianos in the world.

They're perfect.

Take your glove off.

Put it back on.

I have a profound disgust in me.

A profound disgust. "Mea culpa".

"Mea culpa".

This is the most interesting, characteristic...

... most suggestive part of the volcano's crater.

The Solfatara volcano.

All this vapour coming out is from deep inside...

... where the temperatures below create a force...

... that can reach 160 �C.

This tells us that the volcano is not dead.

But very much alive.

- Can we touch the stones? - Yes, you can...

... but be very careful because they're hot. Be careful, eh?

That is sulphur of arsenic.

What's wrong? Aren't you interested?

Are you upset?

No, I was just thinking about the lovers buried together under the ash.

Do they speak of them?

Ten years the land raised up in a small village near here.

Called Pozzuoli.

The houses collapsed. They had to evacuate the inhabitants quickly.

So, they walled up the houses.

They surrounded the entire quarter. Built a wall of cement around it.

To stop them from coming back.

And then... the baroque church burned down.

The marble that cracked...

... and a column from a Roman temple is said to have appeared out of the ground.

It could even have been one that was built on from the ruins of a Greek temple.

They say...

... that it was the revenge of the Gods.

Ridiculous, eh?

Why are you looking at me like that?

You're an enchantress, you know.

Yes...

You're a witch.

Naples... my home town.

I left her for Milan.

The accused, who was an extremely old man...

... was on his feet in front of the bench. And he interested me because he spoke...

... with a very fast Neopolitan accent. Some kind of ancient tongue.

So I started my closing speech.

And I was sure of the sentence.

Ah, here's the meat.

Yes...

Good. Seems... perfect.

- Will you have some? - Yes, please. - Go ahead.

- Were you wearing a black gown? - Oh, of course!

I was wrapped in my beautiful Russian gown that Valeria had recently ironed...

... and was elegantly holding two of the drapes in my left hand.

So as to hide a stain that she hadn't managed to get out.

So, I told him:

"Is there anything you wish to add?"

And I realised in that exact moment...

... that he had two wings.

Yes, two small wings.

"What do you have there?"

He says to me: "Do they surprise you?"

He was a little embarrassed, but he didn't want me to see them.

And then he says...

"I've never needed them for anything. And I can't get rid of them..."

Okay, alright... then why... why didn't you fly away?

"Me, fly away? Fly away from my town?"

"Leave my Gods, my dead?"

And then I woke up.

I woke up soaked in sweat.

Livio, my dear Livio. I've read Kafka too, you know.

You really are an enchantress.

Some kind of witch...

Do you at least like wine?

Lacryma Christi.

Wine from the slopes of Mount vesuvius.

Wine from the ashes.

Do you know the song "Closed Window"?

Play it for us.

"Closed window..."

"Oh, cruel mistress..."

"How many sighs..."

"...have you made me heave?"

"My heart burns..."

"... like..."

"... like a candle."

Enlightened window that is extingished.

The flame of love...

... that burns no longer.

"Whenever I hear your name..."

What else did your friend Inge say about us Italians?

And this golden cage in which we imprison our beautiful women?

One day, the bird will fly away.

And you will find yourself alone in the cage.

"The snow is cold..."

"It's impassable!"

"But you... to me..."

"You've been so... cold and cruel!"

"You watch me dying..."

"Alas! Ungrateful one. Learn from..."

"... from the snow."

"The snow is cold!"

"It's impassable!"

"And you... to me..."

"You've been so..."

"... cold and cruel!"

"You watch me dying..."

"... but you don't want to help me..."

I tried many times but I would always fall asleep...

... before retrieving the memory.

The skirt, the fear, the obedience...

The bowing down.

I could never remember.

It slipped away from me, and I felt it going.

Just like she slipped away from him.

He had finally broken her.

But she awoke his conscience.

Nothing would ever destroy the bond that united her with Livio.

- Did she continue to write? - Yes.

In Milan one of her letters was opened my mistake. A disaster.

Valeria made one hell of a scene.

She went crazy like some kind of wild woman until she knew that the threat was gone.

So...

He wrote: "I ask myself if I can really deny anything."

"Your letter is obvious."

He breaks things off. She is furious.

This is where her and Inge separate?

Nothing for me?

Not exactly.

It's the Vice Consul of Milan who's writing to me.

And what does the Vice Consul want from you? - Nothing.

To tell you the truth, it's more for you.

For me?

He had promised me certain confidentional information.

About what?

About Livio? - Yes.

You asked him for me?

"I absolutely cannot accuse him of anything, he's a very respectable man..."

"... and is irreproachable, despite this considerable weakness when it comes to women."

"... which is very much inexcusable when considering his position and age."

"As well as one notable affair with a pretty young woman..."

"... he has now exhibited for the past few weeks a new, much younger friend."

"Something that we are beginning to accredit to some kind of senile paranoia."

This is despicable!

I just wanted you to understand.

You're a despicable bitch!

I don't want to see you so unhappy anymore.

You're despicable.

I don't want to see you tortured, insulted by that old liar.

Who's torturing me?

Who's mocking me, here?

Please, just look at yourself.

Get over this wound.

Get over what?

What if I want... the wound to remain open?

I don't want to forget.

I don't want to get over it.

With the wound preserved, I keep our love alive.

Through the wound, he lives in me.

Through the wound, I live in him. Just as others live in God.

In a state of perpetual oration.

Ever since I've loved him, my life has been clean. Absolutely clean.

Poor Livio.

This is where life is sterile... arid.

Unbearable.

I want him the way he is. Sweet or cruel.

Close to me or far away. It's the same.

And nobody will ever stop me from thinking this way.

- So you have a new house? - Well...

I've only just moved. Everything's a mess.

My dear, if only I'd known... If only you...

I'm not even sure that I'll stay here.

Why didn't you write to me?

- Why didn't you call me? - Oh, Livio...

It wasn't that important.

What do you mean?

I wanted to tell you that my... my relationship is...

... it's over, everything is over. I'm alone.

I'm alone, Benvenuta.

Don't you have anything to say?

Yes, yes...

- Will you write to me? - I promise.

I promise that I'll write to you.

You know, I'm keeping a diary now.

- Really? - Yes.

I'll send you some pages.

- Are you alone? - Yes, I live alone.

You still work, play?

Mozart.

Your Mozart.

Yes.

I play him sometimes.

- Will I see you again? - If you want, Livio.

Think of me.

Yes, yes...

Always.

Always.

Fran�ois!

You're late. I thought something had happened to you. That...

That you didn't want to come. I was so foolish last time.

Yesterday, I was in such a mood. I didn't consider that you might not come back.

And... the thought of spending an afteroon without you...

Get... the champagne, it's over there.

I had the empty glasses in front of me when everything finally sunk in.

I'm not jealous of your Benvenuta.

Though her greatest delight is to have been created by you...

... watched by you. Dressed and undressed by you.

Invent her however you like! She needs nothing from you.

You can even think about her while you're making love with someone else. No! Silence!

I was talking about her.

I...

I was afraid you might have had an accident, that I would lose you.

She has a great ability to imagine herself elsewhere, in other arms.

Because you created her at you liked..

All she needs is to be moulded in your hands, penetrated by your gaze...

... and she is full of joy.

But I'm ready to bet that...

... when you call at 5, you leave your past behind.

New and untouched for me.

I dare anyone to come up with clearer and more violent thoughts than mine.

God, what a fool I am.

You asked me for the pages of the diary that I didn't send.

I saved them from the shipwreck.

"Do not fear death..."

"... just the anxiety and suffocation of passing away."

"Do not fear the consumption of my individual existence."

"I feel that I've waited my entire life and that only one desire..."

"... has influenced my most desperate experiences."

"That of erasing myself. Diffusing myself."

"To let myself be absorbed into something else, so that I am undistinguishable."

Why didn't you send these pages to him?

He was already too far away.

And her diary?

What did she reply?

What does it matter if he's sweet or cruel?

Love has more violence than sweetness.

To lose herself in him was her goal.

She sinks. Gets swallowed up.

Becomes... small in his immense obscurity.

Reaches her peak and then goes.

Without return. Without looking back.

The seventh day is approaching.

But you, foolishness, are thrice as sublime?

The other is always watchful.

In her runs the blood of the angel.

The angel was holding in his hands...

... a long spear made of gold, all of which is wreathed in flames.

This fire that emerged inside her more and more...

... burnt her all the way down to the viscera.

He leaves her covered in flames...

... of love, of immense love.

The pain was sometimes so refined...

... sometimes so excessive...

... the pleasure.

That nothing more can prevent it...

Prevent what?

Fran�ois.

Prevent that which...

... has happened...

... between you and I.

You know...

I don't think I'll be on top form tomorrow.

Sorry for disturbing you.

Is the lady next door not home? I rang at the buzzer.

And she didn't answer?

I rang twice.

Since she's expecting me, I'm beginning to get worried.

Well, you could use the gate in the garden.

Behind the house.

- That door is never closed. - Thank you.

Jeanne!

- Fran�ois! - Yes?

The telephone!

- Good morning. - Here you go, Ma'am.

This has been returned from Italy, for you.

- What does it mean? - It means that... this gentleman...

... the recipient, is deceased.

He died.

Thank you, Ma'am.

Jeanne's daughter?

Please, go ahead.

I'm calling from St. Joseph Hospital. My mother has been hit by a car.

She was walking the dog.

She has various fractures. Her legs. Pelvis...

Is it very serious?

They're not sure. She's in the operating room now. I...

I'll be here with her.

Could you call me back at her house? I'll stay here.

- What did the doctors say? - They didn't say much.

I don't think they want to worry me.

Well...

Call me here as soon as you can.

- Will you be waiting there? - Yes, I'll be waiting.

- Thank you. - Goodbye.

The recipient...

... is deceased.

"I wear your love wherever I go, like a crown upon my head..."

"I have so many things to tell you."

"Passing Parma, my darling..."

"Passing Piacenza..."

"The train runs through two hedges powdered with snow."