Journey to Italy (1954) - full transcript
Catherine and Alexander, wealthy and sophisticated, drive to Naples to dispose of a deceased uncle's villa. There's a coolness in their relationship and aspects of Naples add to the strain. She remembers a poet who loved her and died in the war; although she didn't love him, the memory underscores romance's absence from her life now. She tours the museums of Naples and Pompeii, immersing herself in the Neapolitan fascination with the dead and noticing how many women are pregnant; he idles on Capri, flirting with women but drawing back from adultery. With her, he's sarcastic; with him, she's critical. They talk of divorce. Will this foreign couple find insight and direction in Italy?
Where are we?
Oh, I don't know exactly.
- How far is it to Naples?
- About a hundred kilometers, I think.
Do you mind if I drive?
I'm afraid
I'll fall asleep otherwise.
All right.
Fine. If you wish.
Did you see that?
It's incredible the way
some people drive here.
Like madmen.
They should amuse you.
What noisy people.
I've never seen noise and boredom
go so well together.
Oh, I don't know.
Uncle Homer lived here...
for 40 years
without getting bored.
Uncle Homer
was not a normal person.
I must write to my mother.
How long do you think we'll be here?
Only a few days. If what
that Burton fellow wrote me is true...
we shouldn't have any trouble
disposing of the property.
I'd never have come on this trip
if I didn't think...
we could clean up
this inheritance mess in no time.
That Burton seems to be such...
an attentive, orderly person.
How could he be such a good friend
of Uncle Homer's?
I can't say. I only know he was
with him for a number of years...
and that Uncle Homer
trusted him completely.
Oh, is... is that
a streak of blood?
No, that's just
a bug squashed against the glass.
The air is full of insects.
Do you think there's any danger
of catching malaria?
They say not.
I was just thinking what a fool I was
three months ago in London.
It would've been so easy for me
to solve the Louis deal.
There were at least
three solutions that were better...
than the one I chose,
and I couldn't think of them.
And you think of them now?
Now they seem very clear to me.
Oh, what a shame John and Dorothy
couldn't come with us.
Yes, it is.
If you'd listened to me, we could've come by plane.
We would've been home a week ago.
But I wanted you
to take a rest.
It didn't occur to me
that it'd be so boring...
for you to be alone with me.
What's that got to do with it?
I'm just bored
because I've got nothing to do.
This is the first time
that we've been really alone...
ever since we married.
Yes, I suppose it is.
- Good evening, sir.
- Good evening, madam. Good evening, sir.
Good evening. We have a reservation
under the name of Joyce.
Yes, Mr. Joyce.
Will you come this way, please?
Good evening, Mrs. Joyce.
Good evening, sir.
Rooms 317 and 18.
Follow me, please.
Excuse me, sir.
There is some mail for you.
Thanks.
Good evening, sir.
Shall we have
something to drink?
Yes, but not here.
Let's go down to the bar. At least
there'll be other people around.
Why?
Would it be so terribly boring
if we were to remain alone?
No. I was thinking of you.
I don't think you're very happy
when we're alone.
Are you sure you know
when I'm happy?
No. Ever since we left
on this trip, I'm not so sure.
I realized for the first time
that we...
we are like strangers.
That's right.
After eight years of marriage...
it seems we don't know
anything about each other.
At home everything
seemed so perfect.
But now that we're away and alone...
Yes.
It's a strange discovery
to make.
- Will you send off this wire, please?
- At once, sir.
Thank you.
Now that we're strangers, we can start
all over again at the beginning.
Might be rather amusing,
don't you think?
Let's go down to the bar.
- Well, I don't see why... Oh, look!
- Judy!
- Katherine! - Are you here?
- I've been here for the day.
I've been living in Capri
for the last three months.
- But what are you doing here?
- Just a business trip.
- Yes, a pleasure trip too.
- How nice!
We're just going to dinner.
Won't you join us?
- Oh, this is Leslie Harris...
- How do you do?
Miss Restelli, and Paul Dupont.
- Hello.
- Hello.
- Miss Sinibaldi and Miss Notari.
- Hello.
Well, shall we have
a drink first?
Yes, come on.
Have a drink with us, huh?
I never dreamt
I would run into you here.
You know, she broke her leg
a month ago.
We brought her to Naples
to have the cast removed.
She'll be
all right again tomorrow.
Let's hurry with those drinks.
I'm starving!
Wake up, Alex.
Wake up.
It's terribly late.
I called Mr. Burton.
He'll be here in a little while
to take us to the house.
Wake up! It's late!
I must say one sleeps well
in this country.
I was dreaming about something.
I can't remember what it was.
Maybe the charming Judy
we were so lucky to meet last night.
- Maybe.
- I've never seen you in such good form.
- Do you know her well?
- Yes.
Well, I must get up.
- Any tea?
- It's on its way up.
How silly of me. I never realized you
were so interested in other women.
Oh, you didn't, eh?
Hello?
Oh. Tell Mr. Burton
we'll be down in a few minutes.
And send up a porter.
Thank you.
He's already here.
There are two people
interested in buying the property.
Too bad you want to sell it, though.
It's such a beautiful place.
Yes, so I understand,
but we must sell.
I've become very fond
of the place.
You see, I arrived there
during the war.
It was all locked up.
Practically deserted.
The moment I saw it,
I requisitioned it immediately.
It kept it from being
robbed and ruined.
One day Uncle Homer arrived.
He had taken refuge in Capri...
where he was constantly
being watched by the police.
Practically interned,
poor fellow.
We had no news from him
for the duration of the war.
It was madness to stay here
in an enemy country.
Oh, I don't think he had
such a bad time in Capri, really.
He had many friends.
Everybody liked him.
Homer was the kind
of a man you...
you couldn't help liking,
you know?
After the Allies had
broken through the Gothic Line...
I was transferred to Venice.
That's where I got engaged.
Homer had become
just like a father to both of us.
Ah. There's the house
right up there.
The white one.
Do you see it?
- Welcome.
- Buon giorno.
- This is Natalia, my wife.
- How do you do?
Please go on in.
I'll take care of the baggage.
Please come in.
This way, please.
You see, this is one
of the drawing rooms...
where your uncle dined
when he had guests.
And we used to set up
a large table right here.
I never knew my uncle
had such good taste.
And now this way, please.
Oh, this is beautiful, isn't it?
Hmm.
Oh, in there are the kitchen
and the pantry.
Please.
Look at her, Tony.
Doesn't she look like Lydia?
- Oh, no. I don't think so.
- The profile.
Much better-looking,
of course.
Aren't they lovely?
Those are French porcelains.
They are vieux Paris.
Come.
I want you to see the terrace.
There's the Vesuvius.
Ever since the eruption of 1944,
there's been a period of calm.
But the temperature's beginning
to rise a little, though.
That point back there
behind that first hill is Pompeii.
There's Castellammare,
Torre Annunziata...
Resina is over there,
and Naples.
There's Ischia,
the Isle of Capri...
and that large strip down there
is the Sorrento peninsula.
- Beautiful, isn't it?
- Yes, quite.
This way, please.
A Neapolitan painter
of the 19th century.
Palizzi. Quite famous.
Here we have sunshine
all day long.
It was your Uncle Homer's
favorite corner.
And here are your bedrooms.
- This will be your room, Mrs. Joyce.
- Oh, very nice.
Yes.
Ah, the baggage.
- Thank you.
- Brava.
- Are you having your lunch here?
- Yes.
I'll have things ready
in an hour.
Thank you very much.
- Do you like it?
- Yes. Delicious.
Of course,
if you're going to stay here a while...
we'll have to do something
about getting servants for you.
Well, if you can find somebody,
just for a few days.
- Only a few days?
- We can't stay very long.
Our government doesn't make it
possible for us to stay abroad long.
Ten pounds a day
for a month, you know.
Yes, I know.
I was very lucky.
I came here right after the war,
soon as I got out of the army.
Then we got married.
This wine is excellent.
Then Uncle Homer gave us hospitality
here in the hunting lodge.
I found something to do
in Pompeii.
The excavations, you know.
I had taken a course
in archaeology.
You must
come out there someday.
Mm. We certainly will.
I'm so anxious to see Pompeii.
I don't seem to be able to quench
my thirst. How about you?
Me? No. Did you notice
I hardly touched the food?
I can't understand what it is.
Perhaps it's all this garlic and oil.
Look, I've downed
a whole bottle of wine.
- Watch yourself. It might make you ill.
- No.
- Where's everybody gone to?
- Hmm?
I heard somebody talking
inside the house.
I think I'll go and see
what's going on.
- Oh, uh, excuse me. I'm sorry to trouble you.
- Eh?
Well, uh...
I'm terribly thirsty.
It's this food, you know.
I'm not used
to all those sauces.
Something to drink.
Uh... Well, but I just
want you to fill it up.
This wine is excellent,
you know...
but I'd just like you
to fill it up.
Uh, you misunderstand me.
I want...
I want to fill it up with wine.
How dare you speak
to me like that!
She says she doesn't
understand you.
I'm dying of thirst.
I'd like to have a drink.
Obviously, the poor woman
couldn't understand you.
- It seems you weren't making the right gestures.
- What gestures should I make?
- Filling up a bottle, you should do like this.
- Yes.
Well, what do I do
for a bottle of mineral water?
That's simple.
- Ah.
- All right?
Everybody's asleep.
It might be the middle of the night.
- Are you asleep too?
- Mm, almost.
Oh, it's so nice in the sun.
Why don't you sit down too?
"Temple of the spirit.
No longer bodies...
but pure...
ascetic images."
Do you remember poor Charles?
- Charles who?
- Charles Lewington.
- "Lewington"?
- Mm. He died two years ago.
Oh, and you just heard about it?
No. I knew the day
after his death...
two years ago.
Lewington... I don't seem to be able
to remember the fellow.
- Where did we meet him?
- At the Hooper-Smiths'.
- Was he a lawyer?
- No.
No, he was a poet.
He was thin, tall, fair.
So pale and spiritual.
He was stationed
here in Italy during the war.
Right here,
as a matter of fact.
Oh, yes. I think I remember him.
He was at one of, um...
Arthur's concerts.
He had a fit of coughing
and had to leave the auditorium.
Yes, he was very ill.
Something he caught
during the war.
You know, that young man
started me thinking about something.
About what?
That you can learn more
from the way a man coughs...
than from the way he speaks.
- What did Charles's cough tell you?
- That he was a fool.
He was not a fool.
He was a poet.
What's the difference?
- Charles wrote some wonderful poems.
- I must get one of his books.
You won't find any. He was too young
to have any of his books published.
Then how did you know
about them?
He read them to me.
I even copied some.
"Temple of the spirit.
No longer bodies but pure...
ascetic images...
compared to which
mere thought...
seems flesh...
heavy, dim."
He wrote them in Italy
while he was in the war.
I never knew you were
such great friends.
Oh, I knew him
before I met you.
- Were you in love with him?
- No.
But we got on
terribly well together.
I saw a great deal of him
at Copling Farm.
Then he got desperately ill.
I couldn't even visit him.
For almost a year
I didn't see him.
Then on the eve
of our wedding...
the night
before I left for London...
I was packing my bags
when I heard a sound...
of pebbles on my window.
The rain was so heavy that
I couldn't see anyone outside.
So I ran out into the garden
just as I was...
and there he stood.
He was shivering with cold.
He was so strange and romantic.
Maybe he wanted
to prove to me...
that in spite of the high fever...
he had braved
the rain to see me.
Or maybe he wanted to die.
How very poetic.
Much more poetic than his verses.
Alex?
Alex, may I take the car?
Yes, of course. Go ahead.
- Good morning, Mrs. Joyce.
- Good morning.
- Where are you going?
- To Naples.
- What's your hurry?
- Oh, I'm in no hurry.
- What is it, then?
- If you need the car, I can borrow Mrs. Burton's.
I've told you I don't need the car.
I'm waiting to see the people...
interested in buying the villa, and it
might be a good idea if you were here.
- But why?
- I don't know. It might be a good idea.
- You could leave after they've seen it.
- Then I'd be too late.
I want to go to the museum,
and they close at 4:00.
- I don't want to miss anything.
- Aren't you going to have lunch?
I've had a sandwich.
Well, I better get started.
Is this the museum that your friend...
what was his name?...
- described in his verses?
- Maybe.
I hate him.
The brute!
He thinks he understands life.
He ought to be punished
for his pride, his self-assurance.
Ah, this must be it.
Morning. Do you have
a guide, madam?
No, I haven't got one yet.
- Do you wish to visit the art gallery?
- Yes, that will be fine.
- Very well. Did you buy a ticket?
- No.
You go inside.
I'll get the ticket. Just a second.
This way, please.
Many years ago,
this was a cavalry barracks.
In 1700, King Charles
made a museum of it.
The museum is very important.
At one time, there were secret rooms
with paintings of Pompeii.
There are groups of sculptures here
from many famous collections...
Capodimonte, Herculaneum,
Pompeii, and so forth.
This is the famous group
of dancers.
They were found
in a villa at Herculaneum.
Observe the harmony
of their movements.
The fourth one looks
just like my daughter Marianna.
This satyr was
in a villa at Pompeii.
It is a pagan divinity
that was found in the woods.
It is a good thing
they exist no longer.
They were very dangerous.
This is the drunken faun.
He is about to fall asleep.
Sleep is a wonderful habit.
Here we have
a young discus thrower...
a Greek.
And here are the emperors.
This is Caracalla.
You know...
the famous public baths in Rome.
He killed his brother
right in his mother's arms.
This is Nero.
You must have heard of him.
He had the face of a baby,
but he was a madman.
He burned Rome
and killed his whole family...
even his mother.
Tiberius.
He spent almost all his life...
on the isle of Capri
because he liked to live well.
He was a little crazy too.
He used to feed
his slaves to the fishes.
Funny emperors,
don't you think, lady?
This is the Venus I like most.
She is not as young
as the others.
She is more... more mature.
Don't you agree, lady?
- Perhaps. I wouldn't know.
- And over here is the marvelous...
Farnese Hercules.
It was found in the baths
of Caracalla in Rome.
It is over ten feet tall...
and 2,200 years old...
and it shows Hercules
resting on a club.
It looks like everybody
takes a rest around here...
except me.
Oh, it's wonderful.
Down there
is the famous Farnese Bull...
carved out
of a single block of marble.
It's over 12 feet high...
and it was restored
by Michelangelo.
It's said to be the largest
marble group in the world.
This group represents the sons
of Antiope, Amphius, and Zethus...
who, to avenge their mother,
tied the cruel Queen Dirce...
to the horn of an angry bull.
To think that those men lived
thousands of years ago...
and you feel that they are
just like the men of today.
It's amazing.
It is as if Nero or Caracalla...
Caesar or Tiberius, would
suddenly tell you what they felt...
and you could understand
exactly what they were like.
- Then they're not ascetic figures?
- No, not at all.
Poor Charles. He had a way
all his own of seeing things.
What struck me was the complete lack of
modesty with which everything is expressed.
- There was absolutely no attempt...
- Come in.
I'm so sorry to trouble you, but an old
friend of your Uncle Homer phoned.
His dearest friend, in fact. The Duke of Lippoli.
He would like to meet you.
I told him that you weren't home
and could he call later.
Well, when he calls again,
I'd like to talk to him.
- Might be rather fun to meet him.
- Yes.
- Very good, then. Good night.
- Good night.
Let's go and eat.
Why don't we try
to enjoy our vacation?
Well, if we don't,
it's your fault.
You don't realize how mean
you can be sometimes.
It's more
than anyone can stand.
Did those people come
to see the house?
- Yes.
- What did they decide?
Nothing.
"Nothing"?
They're going to make me
an offer on Thursday.
What kind of people were they?
Rather talkative.
What... What was that?
They're getting married in a week,
and they're always fighting.
It's jealousy!
How could anyone be jealous
before marriage?
The time just before marriage
is a very delicate one.
Oh!
- Duca di Lippoli?
- Yes.
- Second floor.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
- Please, do come in.
- How do you do?
- How do you do?
- Please.
I'm so glad you could come. We've
been looking forward to meeting you.
I didn't know Homer
had such a beautiful niece.
These are all friends of Homer.
- I want you to meet the Duchesses of Montalban.
- Hello.
The Duke of Marino.
Come, Mrs. Joyce.
Would you like
something to drink, Mr. Joyce?
And may I introduce
the Count and Countess of Trebisonda.
- Prince and Princess Melissa.
- How do you do?
Mrs. Joyce.
Won't you sit down, please?
Thank you.
That old joker Homer
kept it a secret...
that he had
such a beauty in the family.
- He had a mania for keeping secrets.
- Even his death.
Yes.
We found out about it...
quite a while
after he'd been buried.
We'll get even with him
up there someday.
We'll pay him a surprise visit.
I'll bet he'll pretend
to be really surprised.
What an unusual home you have,
and so comfortable.
That sounds to me
like one of those compliments...
that hide the usual reproach.
- Dolce far niente.
- I'm sorry. I don't understand.
How do you say in English
"dolce far niente"?
It is impossible
to say it in English.
Perhaps I could translate it...
- "How sweet it is to do nothing."
- Oh, I understand.
They say that
all Neapolitans are loafers.
I'd like to ask you:
Would you say...
that a shipwrecked man
is a loafer?
In a certain sense,
we're all shipwrecked.
You have to fight so hard
just to keep afloat.
Well, it looks like
a very pleasant shipwreck to me.
Especially when I look into your eyes.
They're like stars in the night.
Do you like Naples?
- I haven't seen very much yet.
- When did you arrive?
- Three days ago.
- Did you come by plane?
No, we, uh, motored down.
Like something to drink?
All right.
Brandy?
Yes, please.
Have a good time?
No.
That's strange.
It's a long time since I've seen you
in such a good mood.
Well, you seemed
pretty gay yourself.
Well, what did you want me to do?
Look bored?
Why don't you admit
you did have a good time?
I don't even want
to talk about it.
All those Italians
milling around you.
What were they doing?
Telling you funny stories?
Jealous?
Is that what you think?
Ever since we realized how little
we meant to each other...
you've done everything you could
to make things worse.
And what about you?
You haven't said a word
or made a gesture...
to try to save what little
is left of our marriage.
Why should I make
the effort all alone?
Because it's your fault.
The whole thing is your fault.
I think you ought to know
that it didn't take me long...
after we were married
to realize what was wrong.
There was always criticism in your
eyes... criticism until it crushed me!
Nonsense. But it is
rather surprising to hear you say...
that what I felt
was important to you.
- What do you mean?
- Exactly what I say.
You accuse me of criticizing you.
Well, it isn't true.
Of course, there are a few things
I don't like about you.
- I know that.
- Your lack of a sense of humor...
your ridiculous romanticism.
But when
I was reduced in rank...
from your wife to a mere hostess
for your friends...
then to handling your public relations,
you seemed quite pleased.
Look, I don't want
to talk about this anymore.
I'm getting absolutely sick
of this crazy country.
It poisons you with laziness.
I want to get back home.
Back to work.
Oh, at last, that big word!
I haven't heard you mention it
for some time: "work."
I expect you
to be talking about duty next.
Do the words "work" and "duty" mean
nothing to you since you've been here?
Don't be a hypocrite.
Now, that's enough.
I think the best thing for us
is to stay away from one another.
I'm going to Capri to wait for the answer
of the people interested in the house.
I'm sure you'll find Capri
terribly exciting...
now that your friends
are there.
Now you have
such lovely friends.
Alex!
To Capri...
to have a good time.
If he thinks
he can make me jealous...
He thinks I'm going to give in.
Thinks I'll run after him.
He's mistaken.
I've learned
a great deal from him.
He'll see.
He'll see.
To the left of the acropolis
is the cave of the Sibyl.
After the Greeks
and the Romans,
this place was transformed
into a fortress.
- Oh, a fortress.
- Yes, a fortress. That's what I said.
After abandoning
the ancient city of Troy...
Aeneas landed here
on this very beach.
In the last war,
the British troops landed here.
Really? British troops landed here?
- Yes, right here.
- Where did they stay?
All around here.
This is the entrance to the caves
of the Sibyl, the Cumaean Sibyl.
Oh, but it's enormous!
Listen to the echo!
Yes, I hear it. Wonderful.
In ancient times,
you could hear it much louder...
when the walls
were covered with bronze.
It's extraordinary.
Down at the end,
there are the rooms of the Sibyl...
and these were her baths.
This way, lady.
The Christians made them over
into catacombs.
You see, lady...
it is here that lovers came
to question the Sybil...
when they wanted to know
what the course of their love would be.
"Temple of the spirit.
No longer bodies...
but pure ascetic images."
Lady, lady.
Don't you want to visit
the rooms of the Sybil?
No, thank you.
Some other time.
Excuse me, lady.
Do you see these holes?
It is there that the Saracens
tied their prisoners.
Allow me.
This is the way
they would have tied...
a beautiful woman like you.
- Where is the Temple of Apollo?
- It's up there.
But I'm not coming.
It's too windy. Good-bye.
Silly old fool.
All men are alike.
I hate you.
Cynical. Cruel.
Anything needed here?
Have a sandwich, Judy?
- Some more?
- Yes.
- And for you?
- Thank you.
There.
When I decided to leave my husband,
I had no problems.
The only important thing
was my freedom.
You seem to have
a lot of problems.
A lot of questions
on your mind.
It's because you love her...
- and you're jealous.
- "Jealous"?
What time is it, darling?
10:30.
10:30?
It's late.
Come on, everybody.
We have a rule here never
to go to bed later than 10:30.
Well, thank you very much.
- Good night.
- Good-bye.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Good night.
Come on! Come on.
- Let's go.
- Thanks for coming, Alex.
And you must come
again sometime, eh?
- Thanks for the party.
- Good night, dear.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Hey, wait for me!
- Come on, then.
- Good night.
- Bye.
- Are you taking Marie home?
- Yes, of course.
All right. Good night.
Do you mind if I lean on you?
- No, not at all.
- Thank you.
- Do you want to go home right away?
- Yes.
- What a beautiful sky.
- Yes, it is.
It's a pity I can't leave
my window open.
Night air is bad for me.
- Oh.
- But I leave the shutters open...
and when I wake up
in the night...
I can see the stars
through the window.
That's a very lovely way
to look at the stars.
This is where I live.
Good night.
Shall I see you tomorrow?
Oh, yes.
- What time?
- At 11:00.
- All right.
- Good night.
Good night.
This way, madam, please.
This little crater formed
during the last eruption.
You can see the boiling lava.
On this part, madam...
the crust of the earth
is only 12 feet thick.
- But isn't it dangerous?
- No.
Now I'll show you something very
interesting: the mystery of ionization.
What is it?
What does it mean?
It's a very interesting
phenomenon.
If you will watch now,
I'll show you.
All you have to do
is light a torch...
and the smoke
increases everywhere...
not only where we are now...
but in all the craters.
Uh, w-wait.
- I must take a photo for my husband.
- Yes, as you wish, madam.
I'm ready.
There. Here we are.
You see? Look.
Look at the smoke in that corner.
- Did you see what a cloud of smoke?
- Yes.
- The smoke increases not only here...
- And way over there too!
but everywhere,
all over the hill.
Oh, that's... that's incredible!
Extraordinary.
Isn't it? And look over there.
Observe down here.
All right, now.
Stand over there, please.
And now, madam...
I'll show you
the same effect of ionization...
produced by a cigarette.
Yes, feel the heat at this opening.
And now watch.
- It's hot.
- Watch.
Now, look. Look.
- You see?
- Yes.
Not only here, but all over.
- All over the hill at the same time.
- Oh.
The smoke increases
over all the area. Once more.
- May I try?
- Of course. Try yourself.
- Let me hold this.
- Oh, thanks.
This way, madam, please.
This is another sight
you must not miss.
This is the small Vesuvius...
called the Pocket Vesuvius.
It is one of the most
interesting spots in this area.
In that corner, there are
the boiling cinders and lapillus.
You'll see.
Now, look in that corner.
Look, look.
The lapillus, you see?
Pompeii, you know...
- was destroyed by a rain...
- Like these?
of burning lapillus and cinders.
Exactly.
And now,
if you will come this way.
Follow me, please.
Good morning.
Bonjour.
I'm a little late.
It doesn't matter.
I am very patient.
- Where are we going?
- Would you like to go for a little walk?
- It'll be good for my leg.
- Which way shall we go?
- Let's go this way.
- All right.
- Feeling better?
- Yes, thank you...
although I slept
very little last night.
- Oh? Why?
- Oh, I don't know.
I feel so alone in my house.
It seems kind of dead
without that disorder...
or something
that a man leaves behind.
The doors and the closet
creak strangely.
Seem to make sounds
I never heard before.
And even the noises outside...
seem louder, clearer.
Footsteps in the streets,
or a voice...
or a child shouting,
or a radio in the distance.
Fate is really strange.
Such a big world.
To think that I might
never have met you.
You know, when I first saw you,
I hardly noticed you...
and now your happiness
is really quite important to me.
But I am happy.
Very happy.
Everything is all right
with my husband now.
I've been so nervous
for the past few days.
You can't imagine the letters
we wrote each other.
You see,
he doesn't write very much...
but when he wants
to really hurt someone...
he can do it with one phrase.
But everything is all right now.
He is coming back
to Capri tonight.
They'll bring the hot water
for your tea right away.
- Thanks.
- Did you have an interesting day?
Yes, very.
Did you see anything new?
- I saw the sulfur springs.
- Strange place, isn't it?
Tell me, did you imagine
that Naples was like this?
Oh, I can't say.
Not quite as it is, perhaps.
You haven't the faintest idea
what Naples is like.
I must show you.
Tomorrow, if you wish,
we can go together...
- to visit the Fontanelle.
- What is that?
It's a... It's a catacomb...
where they gather skeletons
from ancient cemeteries.
Sounds very dismal.
"Dismal"?
Quite the contrary.
These are the skeletons
of people who died...
200, 300, and even 400 years ago.
Can you imagine?
I don't think
it sounds very amusing.
That's because
you've never been to the place.
You wouldn't believe it,
but quite a few people go there.
There are many people
who have chosen a skeleton...
assembled it properly,
take care of it lovingly...
bring fresh flowers every so often,
and keep a lamp in front of it.
But what is the meaning
of all that?
Oh, it's pity, I guess.
These poor dead
are abandoned and alone.
They have no one to look after them,
no one to pray for them.
Well, I don't understand.
I just can't understand it.
I know.
It's difficult to understand...
but you'll see for yourself.
That must be the boat from Capri.
Oh, yes.
That must be it.
Is your husband
coming back tonight?
I don't know. I don't think so.
He didn't phone me.
Oh, I have a terrible headache.
It's the sirocco.
The dampness in the air.
Now, if they would bring me
the water for my tea...
- I could take an aspirin.
- I'll see what's delaying them.
There doesn't seem to be much that a foreigner
can do to amuse himself in this town.
There are
a few nightclubs, sir.
Yes, I've tried them, but, uh,
I'm not much impressed.
Did you visit
the one on the left...
as you go out of the hotel
about two blocks?
- No, I haven't seen that one.
- There is a floor show there.
It's a little better than the rest.
I must investigate it.
- How much do I owe you?
- That will be 3,000 lira, sir.
- Thank you.
- Good night.
Good night, sir.
Buona sera.
Buona sera.
I am afraid
I don't understand Italian.
Okay.
You shameless, brazen hussy.
What did you say?
If you speak fast,
I don't understand.
Slowly.
What did you say?
Oh, nothing.
Nothing important.
Cigarette?
Thanks.
Two nights ago a friend died.
A woman friend.
Thirty-two years old.
In a nightclub.
She put her head on the table...
and she died.
But how? What of?
It was her heart.
She had a baby
seven months ago.
I'm sorry.
If you didn't call me
just now...
I think I would have
thrown myself into the sea.
Well, isn't that a little extreme?
Maybe.
But it is what
I would have done.
Now, look here.
After all, there are lots of...
Listen,
where do you want to go?
To your home?
Are you in a hotel?
Where do we go?
Nowhere. Just forget it.
I'll take you for a drive...
and then I'll drop you off
wherever you want to go.
Alex?
Alex?
Yes? What is it?
I... I just wanted
to make sure it was you.
- Who did you think it was?
- I was sound asleep. I...
I had so much sun and air today
that I was dead tired.
I fell asleep
almost immediately.
How well one sleeps here.
Well, uh, then, uh...
I woke up with a start
when I heard a noise.
I didn't know... I...
I didn't know you were
coming back tonight.
Well, as you see, here I am.
- Did you have a good time?
- Not bad.
What boat did you come back on?
The one that leaves at 5:00.
Oh. 5:00?
What did you do until now?
I was in Naples.
Oh.
Anything else you want to know?
Of course not.
Then I... have your permission
to go to bed?
Of course.
Thank you.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Will you do me a favor?
- Yes.
Have someone call me
at 11:00 tomorrow morning.
And don't let anyone
disturb me until then.
I haven't been sleeping
very well the last few nights.
All right.
- Good night.
- Good night.
I can't remember if I was supposed
to wake Alex before leaving.
I guess not, though. He said something
about wanting to sleep until 11:00.
Sleep is always good for one.
Let him sleep.
By the way, did he enjoy Capri?
Not very much, I'm afraid.
Ah, what a beautiful Madonna.
Oh, there's some marvelous ones.
Let me tell you
about a foreigner...
who was standing on the sidewalk
one day here in Naples.
Suddenly he noticed that
everybody was tipping their hats...
and waving to him.
He couldn't understand
his sudden popularity...
until he realized
he was standing...
in front of one
of those Madonnas.
How many expectant mothers
you see here.
There are hundreds
of them in the streets of Naples.
Count them in this space alone.
Two, three...
four, five...
and another one down there.
Six.
Now I'm sorry I took the car.
Maybe he needed it.
Oh, look there.
Look at that donkey.
Oh, what a load he's carrying,
and he's so little.
But they're very strong.
It's a tough breed.
The food here is spicy,
isn't it? Hmm?
Why?
Aren't you feeling well?
Oh, yes.
I was thinking of my husband.
How beautiful the children are.
I really think they are
very beautiful here.
Is your husband also
fond of children?
Oh, I don't know.
I think so.
But one never knows
what he's thinking.
My brother died in Greece
during the war.
He was buried there...
so I often come here
to pray for him.
It consoles me a little.
I pray for something else too.
I want so much...
I want so much to have a child.
You understand me, don't you?
Yes.
- Good morning.
- Morning.
- Oh, good morning.
- Morning.
See you later.
- I see you took the car.
- I didn't know you needed it.
- You might have asked.
- I didn't want to wake you, and I was in a hurry.
Why? What could
possibly be so urgent?
Another ruin immortalized by Charles?
I'm getting thoroughly sick
of these love pilgrimages.
How can you make such a fuss
just because I took the car?
It's not only that. Everything you do
nowadays seems so utterly senseless.
You've become
quite intolerable.
All right. If that's the way you feel,
let's do something about it.
All right.
- Let's get a divorce.
- Good morning!
I've come to pick you up.
We should be leaving
for Pompeii immediately.
- Oh, that's impossible. I...
- But you can't miss this.
It's a special occasion,
something that's happened
very rarely since they've
been excavating at Pompeii.
They're going to make
a cast of the hollow place...
that has been left in the lava
by a human body!
- I'm sorry...
- Please, you must come.
Imagine that you see the shape
of a man just as he was then...
the moment
he was surprised by death.
It's an extraordinary experience.
Very few ever get a chance to see it.
I must insist. I'm sure
you'll thank me for it afterwards.
All these are new excavations.
It's on this spot
that they found a hollow space.
When the men find hollow ground,
they make a number of holes...
and through these
they pour plaster.
The plaster fills the hollow space
left in the ground by the body...
which has disintegrated.
The shapes of bodies
or objects buried...
for over 2,000 years
are reconstructed this way.
- Look! You can begin to see something!
- What is it?
Let's see.
Looks like a leg.
Yes.
There's an arm.
And there are two more legs.
Well!
It must be a group.
In the house of Menandro
they found the remains of nine people.
There's the head.
You can see the skull
with the plaster clinging to it.
And now the skull bones
and the teeth...
both remarkably
well-preserved.
Two people, just as they were
at the moment they died.
A man and a woman...
perhaps husband and wife,
who knows?...
may have found death
like this together.
- What's happened to Mrs. Joyce?
- I don't know.
- Is there anything I can do?
- No, I'll talk to her.
Katherine! What's the matter?
What's happened to you?
Oh, Alex, this is too much.
I can't stand it anymore.
Please take me home. I want to go home.
I don't want to stay here any longer.
Well, if that's
what you want, but...
we can't very well leave
these people like this.
They've been very kind,
and this isn't something they do every day.
- We owe them some kind of explanation.
- You explain to them. Say I'm sick or something.
All right.
My wife isn't feeling well. If you'll
excuse us, I think I'll take her home.
I'm terribly sorry.
You want me to go with you?
You know the way out, or would you like
me to take you somewhere she can rest?
- Come, I'll show you.
- No, it's better if I go myself.
She doesn't want anyone
around just at the moment.
But she'll be all right, and we'll
probably be back in a few minutes.
All right.
- Is this the way out?
- Yes, that's right.
You know,
I understand how you feel.
I was pretty moved myself.
But you must try
to pull yourself together.
Did it affect you the same way?
I... I've seen so many
strange things today...
that I didn't have the time
to tell you about.
There are many things
that I didn't tell you.
I'm sorry I answered you
in such a stupid way...
when I came back this morning.
Why?
Our situation is quite clear.
We've made our decision.
You don't have
to make any excuses.
Don't you want to look around a little,
as long as we're here?
No.
Nothing here that brings back
old memories?
Oh, stop it!
Must you continue to...
to harp on it?
I'm sick and tired
of your sarcasm.
We have decided to get a divorce,
and that settles it.
Life is so short.
That's why one should
make the most of it.
Look, I've been thinking.
Perhaps I ought
to leave immediately.
You seem to like it here, so why don't
you stay on until you've sold the house?
I'll take the plane back to London.
I think the best thing to do...
is to talk to a lawyer
and start proceedings.
Maybe what is wrong
with our marriage is that we...
we didn't have a child.
Well, you didn't want a child.
And now I agree with you.
You were quite right. You had
much more foresight than I did.
Imagine what it would be like
to have a child involved in this.
It would make the divorce
even more painful.
"Painful"?
Is it going to be
painful for you?
Well, more complicated.
What in the world is going on?
Look at all these people.
Look at the children.
This is awful.
We won't get through for hours.
Alex, listen.
Are you sure
we're doing the right thing?
Are you suddenly
getting sentimental?
Listen, we've been honest
with each other up till now.
Don't let's spoil everything.
How can they believe in that?
They're like
a bunch of children.
Children are happy.
Alex, I don't want you to hate me.
I don't want it to finish this way.
What are you driving at?
What game are you trying to play?
You've never understood me.
You've never even tried.
And now this nonsense.
What is it you want?
Nothing.
I despise you.
Well, come on.
Let's get out of this crowd.
Alex! Alex! Alex!
Alex!
Alex!
Oh, I don't want to lose you!
Katherine!
Katherine, what's wrong with us?
Why do we torture one another?
When you say things that hurt me,
I try to hurt you back.
But I can't any longer,
because I love you.
Perhaps we get hurt too easily.
Tell me that you love me.
If I do, will you promise
not to take advantage of me?
Yes. But tell me.
I want to hear you say it.
All right. I love you.
Oh, I don't know exactly.
- How far is it to Naples?
- About a hundred kilometers, I think.
Do you mind if I drive?
I'm afraid
I'll fall asleep otherwise.
All right.
Fine. If you wish.
Did you see that?
It's incredible the way
some people drive here.
Like madmen.
They should amuse you.
What noisy people.
I've never seen noise and boredom
go so well together.
Oh, I don't know.
Uncle Homer lived here...
for 40 years
without getting bored.
Uncle Homer
was not a normal person.
I must write to my mother.
How long do you think we'll be here?
Only a few days. If what
that Burton fellow wrote me is true...
we shouldn't have any trouble
disposing of the property.
I'd never have come on this trip
if I didn't think...
we could clean up
this inheritance mess in no time.
That Burton seems to be such...
an attentive, orderly person.
How could he be such a good friend
of Uncle Homer's?
I can't say. I only know he was
with him for a number of years...
and that Uncle Homer
trusted him completely.
Oh, is... is that
a streak of blood?
No, that's just
a bug squashed against the glass.
The air is full of insects.
Do you think there's any danger
of catching malaria?
They say not.
I was just thinking what a fool I was
three months ago in London.
It would've been so easy for me
to solve the Louis deal.
There were at least
three solutions that were better...
than the one I chose,
and I couldn't think of them.
And you think of them now?
Now they seem very clear to me.
Oh, what a shame John and Dorothy
couldn't come with us.
Yes, it is.
If you'd listened to me, we could've come by plane.
We would've been home a week ago.
But I wanted you
to take a rest.
It didn't occur to me
that it'd be so boring...
for you to be alone with me.
What's that got to do with it?
I'm just bored
because I've got nothing to do.
This is the first time
that we've been really alone...
ever since we married.
Yes, I suppose it is.
- Good evening, sir.
- Good evening, madam. Good evening, sir.
Good evening. We have a reservation
under the name of Joyce.
Yes, Mr. Joyce.
Will you come this way, please?
Good evening, Mrs. Joyce.
Good evening, sir.
Rooms 317 and 18.
Follow me, please.
Excuse me, sir.
There is some mail for you.
Thanks.
Good evening, sir.
Shall we have
something to drink?
Yes, but not here.
Let's go down to the bar. At least
there'll be other people around.
Why?
Would it be so terribly boring
if we were to remain alone?
No. I was thinking of you.
I don't think you're very happy
when we're alone.
Are you sure you know
when I'm happy?
No. Ever since we left
on this trip, I'm not so sure.
I realized for the first time
that we...
we are like strangers.
That's right.
After eight years of marriage...
it seems we don't know
anything about each other.
At home everything
seemed so perfect.
But now that we're away and alone...
Yes.
It's a strange discovery
to make.
- Will you send off this wire, please?
- At once, sir.
Thank you.
Now that we're strangers, we can start
all over again at the beginning.
Might be rather amusing,
don't you think?
Let's go down to the bar.
- Well, I don't see why... Oh, look!
- Judy!
- Katherine! - Are you here?
- I've been here for the day.
I've been living in Capri
for the last three months.
- But what are you doing here?
- Just a business trip.
- Yes, a pleasure trip too.
- How nice!
We're just going to dinner.
Won't you join us?
- Oh, this is Leslie Harris...
- How do you do?
Miss Restelli, and Paul Dupont.
- Hello.
- Hello.
- Miss Sinibaldi and Miss Notari.
- Hello.
Well, shall we have
a drink first?
Yes, come on.
Have a drink with us, huh?
I never dreamt
I would run into you here.
You know, she broke her leg
a month ago.
We brought her to Naples
to have the cast removed.
She'll be
all right again tomorrow.
Let's hurry with those drinks.
I'm starving!
Wake up, Alex.
Wake up.
It's terribly late.
I called Mr. Burton.
He'll be here in a little while
to take us to the house.
Wake up! It's late!
I must say one sleeps well
in this country.
I was dreaming about something.
I can't remember what it was.
Maybe the charming Judy
we were so lucky to meet last night.
- Maybe.
- I've never seen you in such good form.
- Do you know her well?
- Yes.
Well, I must get up.
- Any tea?
- It's on its way up.
How silly of me. I never realized you
were so interested in other women.
Oh, you didn't, eh?
Hello?
Oh. Tell Mr. Burton
we'll be down in a few minutes.
And send up a porter.
Thank you.
He's already here.
There are two people
interested in buying the property.
Too bad you want to sell it, though.
It's such a beautiful place.
Yes, so I understand,
but we must sell.
I've become very fond
of the place.
You see, I arrived there
during the war.
It was all locked up.
Practically deserted.
The moment I saw it,
I requisitioned it immediately.
It kept it from being
robbed and ruined.
One day Uncle Homer arrived.
He had taken refuge in Capri...
where he was constantly
being watched by the police.
Practically interned,
poor fellow.
We had no news from him
for the duration of the war.
It was madness to stay here
in an enemy country.
Oh, I don't think he had
such a bad time in Capri, really.
He had many friends.
Everybody liked him.
Homer was the kind
of a man you...
you couldn't help liking,
you know?
After the Allies had
broken through the Gothic Line...
I was transferred to Venice.
That's where I got engaged.
Homer had become
just like a father to both of us.
Ah. There's the house
right up there.
The white one.
Do you see it?
- Welcome.
- Buon giorno.
- This is Natalia, my wife.
- How do you do?
Please go on in.
I'll take care of the baggage.
Please come in.
This way, please.
You see, this is one
of the drawing rooms...
where your uncle dined
when he had guests.
And we used to set up
a large table right here.
I never knew my uncle
had such good taste.
And now this way, please.
Oh, this is beautiful, isn't it?
Hmm.
Oh, in there are the kitchen
and the pantry.
Please.
Look at her, Tony.
Doesn't she look like Lydia?
- Oh, no. I don't think so.
- The profile.
Much better-looking,
of course.
Aren't they lovely?
Those are French porcelains.
They are vieux Paris.
Come.
I want you to see the terrace.
There's the Vesuvius.
Ever since the eruption of 1944,
there's been a period of calm.
But the temperature's beginning
to rise a little, though.
That point back there
behind that first hill is Pompeii.
There's Castellammare,
Torre Annunziata...
Resina is over there,
and Naples.
There's Ischia,
the Isle of Capri...
and that large strip down there
is the Sorrento peninsula.
- Beautiful, isn't it?
- Yes, quite.
This way, please.
A Neapolitan painter
of the 19th century.
Palizzi. Quite famous.
Here we have sunshine
all day long.
It was your Uncle Homer's
favorite corner.
And here are your bedrooms.
- This will be your room, Mrs. Joyce.
- Oh, very nice.
Yes.
Ah, the baggage.
- Thank you.
- Brava.
- Are you having your lunch here?
- Yes.
I'll have things ready
in an hour.
Thank you very much.
- Do you like it?
- Yes. Delicious.
Of course,
if you're going to stay here a while...
we'll have to do something
about getting servants for you.
Well, if you can find somebody,
just for a few days.
- Only a few days?
- We can't stay very long.
Our government doesn't make it
possible for us to stay abroad long.
Ten pounds a day
for a month, you know.
Yes, I know.
I was very lucky.
I came here right after the war,
soon as I got out of the army.
Then we got married.
This wine is excellent.
Then Uncle Homer gave us hospitality
here in the hunting lodge.
I found something to do
in Pompeii.
The excavations, you know.
I had taken a course
in archaeology.
You must
come out there someday.
Mm. We certainly will.
I'm so anxious to see Pompeii.
I don't seem to be able to quench
my thirst. How about you?
Me? No. Did you notice
I hardly touched the food?
I can't understand what it is.
Perhaps it's all this garlic and oil.
Look, I've downed
a whole bottle of wine.
- Watch yourself. It might make you ill.
- No.
- Where's everybody gone to?
- Hmm?
I heard somebody talking
inside the house.
I think I'll go and see
what's going on.
- Oh, uh, excuse me. I'm sorry to trouble you.
- Eh?
Well, uh...
I'm terribly thirsty.
It's this food, you know.
I'm not used
to all those sauces.
Something to drink.
Uh... Well, but I just
want you to fill it up.
This wine is excellent,
you know...
but I'd just like you
to fill it up.
Uh, you misunderstand me.
I want...
I want to fill it up with wine.
How dare you speak
to me like that!
She says she doesn't
understand you.
I'm dying of thirst.
I'd like to have a drink.
Obviously, the poor woman
couldn't understand you.
- It seems you weren't making the right gestures.
- What gestures should I make?
- Filling up a bottle, you should do like this.
- Yes.
Well, what do I do
for a bottle of mineral water?
That's simple.
- Ah.
- All right?
Everybody's asleep.
It might be the middle of the night.
- Are you asleep too?
- Mm, almost.
Oh, it's so nice in the sun.
Why don't you sit down too?
"Temple of the spirit.
No longer bodies...
but pure...
ascetic images."
Do you remember poor Charles?
- Charles who?
- Charles Lewington.
- "Lewington"?
- Mm. He died two years ago.
Oh, and you just heard about it?
No. I knew the day
after his death...
two years ago.
Lewington... I don't seem to be able
to remember the fellow.
- Where did we meet him?
- At the Hooper-Smiths'.
- Was he a lawyer?
- No.
No, he was a poet.
He was thin, tall, fair.
So pale and spiritual.
He was stationed
here in Italy during the war.
Right here,
as a matter of fact.
Oh, yes. I think I remember him.
He was at one of, um...
Arthur's concerts.
He had a fit of coughing
and had to leave the auditorium.
Yes, he was very ill.
Something he caught
during the war.
You know, that young man
started me thinking about something.
About what?
That you can learn more
from the way a man coughs...
than from the way he speaks.
- What did Charles's cough tell you?
- That he was a fool.
He was not a fool.
He was a poet.
What's the difference?
- Charles wrote some wonderful poems.
- I must get one of his books.
You won't find any. He was too young
to have any of his books published.
Then how did you know
about them?
He read them to me.
I even copied some.
"Temple of the spirit.
No longer bodies but pure...
ascetic images...
compared to which
mere thought...
seems flesh...
heavy, dim."
He wrote them in Italy
while he was in the war.
I never knew you were
such great friends.
Oh, I knew him
before I met you.
- Were you in love with him?
- No.
But we got on
terribly well together.
I saw a great deal of him
at Copling Farm.
Then he got desperately ill.
I couldn't even visit him.
For almost a year
I didn't see him.
Then on the eve
of our wedding...
the night
before I left for London...
I was packing my bags
when I heard a sound...
of pebbles on my window.
The rain was so heavy that
I couldn't see anyone outside.
So I ran out into the garden
just as I was...
and there he stood.
He was shivering with cold.
He was so strange and romantic.
Maybe he wanted
to prove to me...
that in spite of the high fever...
he had braved
the rain to see me.
Or maybe he wanted to die.
How very poetic.
Much more poetic than his verses.
Alex?
Alex, may I take the car?
Yes, of course. Go ahead.
- Good morning, Mrs. Joyce.
- Good morning.
- Where are you going?
- To Naples.
- What's your hurry?
- Oh, I'm in no hurry.
- What is it, then?
- If you need the car, I can borrow Mrs. Burton's.
I've told you I don't need the car.
I'm waiting to see the people...
interested in buying the villa, and it
might be a good idea if you were here.
- But why?
- I don't know. It might be a good idea.
- You could leave after they've seen it.
- Then I'd be too late.
I want to go to the museum,
and they close at 4:00.
- I don't want to miss anything.
- Aren't you going to have lunch?
I've had a sandwich.
Well, I better get started.
Is this the museum that your friend...
what was his name?...
- described in his verses?
- Maybe.
I hate him.
The brute!
He thinks he understands life.
He ought to be punished
for his pride, his self-assurance.
Ah, this must be it.
Morning. Do you have
a guide, madam?
No, I haven't got one yet.
- Do you wish to visit the art gallery?
- Yes, that will be fine.
- Very well. Did you buy a ticket?
- No.
You go inside.
I'll get the ticket. Just a second.
This way, please.
Many years ago,
this was a cavalry barracks.
In 1700, King Charles
made a museum of it.
The museum is very important.
At one time, there were secret rooms
with paintings of Pompeii.
There are groups of sculptures here
from many famous collections...
Capodimonte, Herculaneum,
Pompeii, and so forth.
This is the famous group
of dancers.
They were found
in a villa at Herculaneum.
Observe the harmony
of their movements.
The fourth one looks
just like my daughter Marianna.
This satyr was
in a villa at Pompeii.
It is a pagan divinity
that was found in the woods.
It is a good thing
they exist no longer.
They were very dangerous.
This is the drunken faun.
He is about to fall asleep.
Sleep is a wonderful habit.
Here we have
a young discus thrower...
a Greek.
And here are the emperors.
This is Caracalla.
You know...
the famous public baths in Rome.
He killed his brother
right in his mother's arms.
This is Nero.
You must have heard of him.
He had the face of a baby,
but he was a madman.
He burned Rome
and killed his whole family...
even his mother.
Tiberius.
He spent almost all his life...
on the isle of Capri
because he liked to live well.
He was a little crazy too.
He used to feed
his slaves to the fishes.
Funny emperors,
don't you think, lady?
This is the Venus I like most.
She is not as young
as the others.
She is more... more mature.
Don't you agree, lady?
- Perhaps. I wouldn't know.
- And over here is the marvelous...
Farnese Hercules.
It was found in the baths
of Caracalla in Rome.
It is over ten feet tall...
and 2,200 years old...
and it shows Hercules
resting on a club.
It looks like everybody
takes a rest around here...
except me.
Oh, it's wonderful.
Down there
is the famous Farnese Bull...
carved out
of a single block of marble.
It's over 12 feet high...
and it was restored
by Michelangelo.
It's said to be the largest
marble group in the world.
This group represents the sons
of Antiope, Amphius, and Zethus...
who, to avenge their mother,
tied the cruel Queen Dirce...
to the horn of an angry bull.
To think that those men lived
thousands of years ago...
and you feel that they are
just like the men of today.
It's amazing.
It is as if Nero or Caracalla...
Caesar or Tiberius, would
suddenly tell you what they felt...
and you could understand
exactly what they were like.
- Then they're not ascetic figures?
- No, not at all.
Poor Charles. He had a way
all his own of seeing things.
What struck me was the complete lack of
modesty with which everything is expressed.
- There was absolutely no attempt...
- Come in.
I'm so sorry to trouble you, but an old
friend of your Uncle Homer phoned.
His dearest friend, in fact. The Duke of Lippoli.
He would like to meet you.
I told him that you weren't home
and could he call later.
Well, when he calls again,
I'd like to talk to him.
- Might be rather fun to meet him.
- Yes.
- Very good, then. Good night.
- Good night.
Let's go and eat.
Why don't we try
to enjoy our vacation?
Well, if we don't,
it's your fault.
You don't realize how mean
you can be sometimes.
It's more
than anyone can stand.
Did those people come
to see the house?
- Yes.
- What did they decide?
Nothing.
"Nothing"?
They're going to make me
an offer on Thursday.
What kind of people were they?
Rather talkative.
What... What was that?
They're getting married in a week,
and they're always fighting.
It's jealousy!
How could anyone be jealous
before marriage?
The time just before marriage
is a very delicate one.
Oh!
- Duca di Lippoli?
- Yes.
- Second floor.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
- Please, do come in.
- How do you do?
- How do you do?
- Please.
I'm so glad you could come. We've
been looking forward to meeting you.
I didn't know Homer
had such a beautiful niece.
These are all friends of Homer.
- I want you to meet the Duchesses of Montalban.
- Hello.
The Duke of Marino.
Come, Mrs. Joyce.
Would you like
something to drink, Mr. Joyce?
And may I introduce
the Count and Countess of Trebisonda.
- Prince and Princess Melissa.
- How do you do?
Mrs. Joyce.
Won't you sit down, please?
Thank you.
That old joker Homer
kept it a secret...
that he had
such a beauty in the family.
- He had a mania for keeping secrets.
- Even his death.
Yes.
We found out about it...
quite a while
after he'd been buried.
We'll get even with him
up there someday.
We'll pay him a surprise visit.
I'll bet he'll pretend
to be really surprised.
What an unusual home you have,
and so comfortable.
That sounds to me
like one of those compliments...
that hide the usual reproach.
- Dolce far niente.
- I'm sorry. I don't understand.
How do you say in English
"dolce far niente"?
It is impossible
to say it in English.
Perhaps I could translate it...
- "How sweet it is to do nothing."
- Oh, I understand.
They say that
all Neapolitans are loafers.
I'd like to ask you:
Would you say...
that a shipwrecked man
is a loafer?
In a certain sense,
we're all shipwrecked.
You have to fight so hard
just to keep afloat.
Well, it looks like
a very pleasant shipwreck to me.
Especially when I look into your eyes.
They're like stars in the night.
Do you like Naples?
- I haven't seen very much yet.
- When did you arrive?
- Three days ago.
- Did you come by plane?
No, we, uh, motored down.
Like something to drink?
All right.
Brandy?
Yes, please.
Have a good time?
No.
That's strange.
It's a long time since I've seen you
in such a good mood.
Well, you seemed
pretty gay yourself.
Well, what did you want me to do?
Look bored?
Why don't you admit
you did have a good time?
I don't even want
to talk about it.
All those Italians
milling around you.
What were they doing?
Telling you funny stories?
Jealous?
Is that what you think?
Ever since we realized how little
we meant to each other...
you've done everything you could
to make things worse.
And what about you?
You haven't said a word
or made a gesture...
to try to save what little
is left of our marriage.
Why should I make
the effort all alone?
Because it's your fault.
The whole thing is your fault.
I think you ought to know
that it didn't take me long...
after we were married
to realize what was wrong.
There was always criticism in your
eyes... criticism until it crushed me!
Nonsense. But it is
rather surprising to hear you say...
that what I felt
was important to you.
- What do you mean?
- Exactly what I say.
You accuse me of criticizing you.
Well, it isn't true.
Of course, there are a few things
I don't like about you.
- I know that.
- Your lack of a sense of humor...
your ridiculous romanticism.
But when
I was reduced in rank...
from your wife to a mere hostess
for your friends...
then to handling your public relations,
you seemed quite pleased.
Look, I don't want
to talk about this anymore.
I'm getting absolutely sick
of this crazy country.
It poisons you with laziness.
I want to get back home.
Back to work.
Oh, at last, that big word!
I haven't heard you mention it
for some time: "work."
I expect you
to be talking about duty next.
Do the words "work" and "duty" mean
nothing to you since you've been here?
Don't be a hypocrite.
Now, that's enough.
I think the best thing for us
is to stay away from one another.
I'm going to Capri to wait for the answer
of the people interested in the house.
I'm sure you'll find Capri
terribly exciting...
now that your friends
are there.
Now you have
such lovely friends.
Alex!
To Capri...
to have a good time.
If he thinks
he can make me jealous...
He thinks I'm going to give in.
Thinks I'll run after him.
He's mistaken.
I've learned
a great deal from him.
He'll see.
He'll see.
To the left of the acropolis
is the cave of the Sibyl.
After the Greeks
and the Romans,
this place was transformed
into a fortress.
- Oh, a fortress.
- Yes, a fortress. That's what I said.
After abandoning
the ancient city of Troy...
Aeneas landed here
on this very beach.
In the last war,
the British troops landed here.
Really? British troops landed here?
- Yes, right here.
- Where did they stay?
All around here.
This is the entrance to the caves
of the Sibyl, the Cumaean Sibyl.
Oh, but it's enormous!
Listen to the echo!
Yes, I hear it. Wonderful.
In ancient times,
you could hear it much louder...
when the walls
were covered with bronze.
It's extraordinary.
Down at the end,
there are the rooms of the Sibyl...
and these were her baths.
This way, lady.
The Christians made them over
into catacombs.
You see, lady...
it is here that lovers came
to question the Sybil...
when they wanted to know
what the course of their love would be.
"Temple of the spirit.
No longer bodies...
but pure ascetic images."
Lady, lady.
Don't you want to visit
the rooms of the Sybil?
No, thank you.
Some other time.
Excuse me, lady.
Do you see these holes?
It is there that the Saracens
tied their prisoners.
Allow me.
This is the way
they would have tied...
a beautiful woman like you.
- Where is the Temple of Apollo?
- It's up there.
But I'm not coming.
It's too windy. Good-bye.
Silly old fool.
All men are alike.
I hate you.
Cynical. Cruel.
Anything needed here?
Have a sandwich, Judy?
- Some more?
- Yes.
- And for you?
- Thank you.
There.
When I decided to leave my husband,
I had no problems.
The only important thing
was my freedom.
You seem to have
a lot of problems.
A lot of questions
on your mind.
It's because you love her...
- and you're jealous.
- "Jealous"?
What time is it, darling?
10:30.
10:30?
It's late.
Come on, everybody.
We have a rule here never
to go to bed later than 10:30.
Well, thank you very much.
- Good night.
- Good-bye.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Good night.
Come on! Come on.
- Let's go.
- Thanks for coming, Alex.
And you must come
again sometime, eh?
- Thanks for the party.
- Good night, dear.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Hey, wait for me!
- Come on, then.
- Good night.
- Bye.
- Are you taking Marie home?
- Yes, of course.
All right. Good night.
Do you mind if I lean on you?
- No, not at all.
- Thank you.
- Do you want to go home right away?
- Yes.
- What a beautiful sky.
- Yes, it is.
It's a pity I can't leave
my window open.
Night air is bad for me.
- Oh.
- But I leave the shutters open...
and when I wake up
in the night...
I can see the stars
through the window.
That's a very lovely way
to look at the stars.
This is where I live.
Good night.
Shall I see you tomorrow?
Oh, yes.
- What time?
- At 11:00.
- All right.
- Good night.
Good night.
This way, madam, please.
This little crater formed
during the last eruption.
You can see the boiling lava.
On this part, madam...
the crust of the earth
is only 12 feet thick.
- But isn't it dangerous?
- No.
Now I'll show you something very
interesting: the mystery of ionization.
What is it?
What does it mean?
It's a very interesting
phenomenon.
If you will watch now,
I'll show you.
All you have to do
is light a torch...
and the smoke
increases everywhere...
not only where we are now...
but in all the craters.
Uh, w-wait.
- I must take a photo for my husband.
- Yes, as you wish, madam.
I'm ready.
There. Here we are.
You see? Look.
Look at the smoke in that corner.
- Did you see what a cloud of smoke?
- Yes.
- The smoke increases not only here...
- And way over there too!
but everywhere,
all over the hill.
Oh, that's... that's incredible!
Extraordinary.
Isn't it? And look over there.
Observe down here.
All right, now.
Stand over there, please.
And now, madam...
I'll show you
the same effect of ionization...
produced by a cigarette.
Yes, feel the heat at this opening.
And now watch.
- It's hot.
- Watch.
Now, look. Look.
- You see?
- Yes.
Not only here, but all over.
- All over the hill at the same time.
- Oh.
The smoke increases
over all the area. Once more.
- May I try?
- Of course. Try yourself.
- Let me hold this.
- Oh, thanks.
This way, madam, please.
This is another sight
you must not miss.
This is the small Vesuvius...
called the Pocket Vesuvius.
It is one of the most
interesting spots in this area.
In that corner, there are
the boiling cinders and lapillus.
You'll see.
Now, look in that corner.
Look, look.
The lapillus, you see?
Pompeii, you know...
- was destroyed by a rain...
- Like these?
of burning lapillus and cinders.
Exactly.
And now,
if you will come this way.
Follow me, please.
Good morning.
Bonjour.
I'm a little late.
It doesn't matter.
I am very patient.
- Where are we going?
- Would you like to go for a little walk?
- It'll be good for my leg.
- Which way shall we go?
- Let's go this way.
- All right.
- Feeling better?
- Yes, thank you...
although I slept
very little last night.
- Oh? Why?
- Oh, I don't know.
I feel so alone in my house.
It seems kind of dead
without that disorder...
or something
that a man leaves behind.
The doors and the closet
creak strangely.
Seem to make sounds
I never heard before.
And even the noises outside...
seem louder, clearer.
Footsteps in the streets,
or a voice...
or a child shouting,
or a radio in the distance.
Fate is really strange.
Such a big world.
To think that I might
never have met you.
You know, when I first saw you,
I hardly noticed you...
and now your happiness
is really quite important to me.
But I am happy.
Very happy.
Everything is all right
with my husband now.
I've been so nervous
for the past few days.
You can't imagine the letters
we wrote each other.
You see,
he doesn't write very much...
but when he wants
to really hurt someone...
he can do it with one phrase.
But everything is all right now.
He is coming back
to Capri tonight.
They'll bring the hot water
for your tea right away.
- Thanks.
- Did you have an interesting day?
Yes, very.
Did you see anything new?
- I saw the sulfur springs.
- Strange place, isn't it?
Tell me, did you imagine
that Naples was like this?
Oh, I can't say.
Not quite as it is, perhaps.
You haven't the faintest idea
what Naples is like.
I must show you.
Tomorrow, if you wish,
we can go together...
- to visit the Fontanelle.
- What is that?
It's a... It's a catacomb...
where they gather skeletons
from ancient cemeteries.
Sounds very dismal.
"Dismal"?
Quite the contrary.
These are the skeletons
of people who died...
200, 300, and even 400 years ago.
Can you imagine?
I don't think
it sounds very amusing.
That's because
you've never been to the place.
You wouldn't believe it,
but quite a few people go there.
There are many people
who have chosen a skeleton...
assembled it properly,
take care of it lovingly...
bring fresh flowers every so often,
and keep a lamp in front of it.
But what is the meaning
of all that?
Oh, it's pity, I guess.
These poor dead
are abandoned and alone.
They have no one to look after them,
no one to pray for them.
Well, I don't understand.
I just can't understand it.
I know.
It's difficult to understand...
but you'll see for yourself.
That must be the boat from Capri.
Oh, yes.
That must be it.
Is your husband
coming back tonight?
I don't know. I don't think so.
He didn't phone me.
Oh, I have a terrible headache.
It's the sirocco.
The dampness in the air.
Now, if they would bring me
the water for my tea...
- I could take an aspirin.
- I'll see what's delaying them.
There doesn't seem to be much that a foreigner
can do to amuse himself in this town.
There are
a few nightclubs, sir.
Yes, I've tried them, but, uh,
I'm not much impressed.
Did you visit
the one on the left...
as you go out of the hotel
about two blocks?
- No, I haven't seen that one.
- There is a floor show there.
It's a little better than the rest.
I must investigate it.
- How much do I owe you?
- That will be 3,000 lira, sir.
- Thank you.
- Good night.
Good night, sir.
Buona sera.
Buona sera.
I am afraid
I don't understand Italian.
Okay.
You shameless, brazen hussy.
What did you say?
If you speak fast,
I don't understand.
Slowly.
What did you say?
Oh, nothing.
Nothing important.
Cigarette?
Thanks.
Two nights ago a friend died.
A woman friend.
Thirty-two years old.
In a nightclub.
She put her head on the table...
and she died.
But how? What of?
It was her heart.
She had a baby
seven months ago.
I'm sorry.
If you didn't call me
just now...
I think I would have
thrown myself into the sea.
Well, isn't that a little extreme?
Maybe.
But it is what
I would have done.
Now, look here.
After all, there are lots of...
Listen,
where do you want to go?
To your home?
Are you in a hotel?
Where do we go?
Nowhere. Just forget it.
I'll take you for a drive...
and then I'll drop you off
wherever you want to go.
Alex?
Alex?
Yes? What is it?
I... I just wanted
to make sure it was you.
- Who did you think it was?
- I was sound asleep. I...
I had so much sun and air today
that I was dead tired.
I fell asleep
almost immediately.
How well one sleeps here.
Well, uh, then, uh...
I woke up with a start
when I heard a noise.
I didn't know... I...
I didn't know you were
coming back tonight.
Well, as you see, here I am.
- Did you have a good time?
- Not bad.
What boat did you come back on?
The one that leaves at 5:00.
Oh. 5:00?
What did you do until now?
I was in Naples.
Oh.
Anything else you want to know?
Of course not.
Then I... have your permission
to go to bed?
Of course.
Thank you.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Will you do me a favor?
- Yes.
Have someone call me
at 11:00 tomorrow morning.
And don't let anyone
disturb me until then.
I haven't been sleeping
very well the last few nights.
All right.
- Good night.
- Good night.
I can't remember if I was supposed
to wake Alex before leaving.
I guess not, though. He said something
about wanting to sleep until 11:00.
Sleep is always good for one.
Let him sleep.
By the way, did he enjoy Capri?
Not very much, I'm afraid.
Ah, what a beautiful Madonna.
Oh, there's some marvelous ones.
Let me tell you
about a foreigner...
who was standing on the sidewalk
one day here in Naples.
Suddenly he noticed that
everybody was tipping their hats...
and waving to him.
He couldn't understand
his sudden popularity...
until he realized
he was standing...
in front of one
of those Madonnas.
How many expectant mothers
you see here.
There are hundreds
of them in the streets of Naples.
Count them in this space alone.
Two, three...
four, five...
and another one down there.
Six.
Now I'm sorry I took the car.
Maybe he needed it.
Oh, look there.
Look at that donkey.
Oh, what a load he's carrying,
and he's so little.
But they're very strong.
It's a tough breed.
The food here is spicy,
isn't it? Hmm?
Why?
Aren't you feeling well?
Oh, yes.
I was thinking of my husband.
How beautiful the children are.
I really think they are
very beautiful here.
Is your husband also
fond of children?
Oh, I don't know.
I think so.
But one never knows
what he's thinking.
My brother died in Greece
during the war.
He was buried there...
so I often come here
to pray for him.
It consoles me a little.
I pray for something else too.
I want so much...
I want so much to have a child.
You understand me, don't you?
Yes.
- Good morning.
- Morning.
- Oh, good morning.
- Morning.
See you later.
- I see you took the car.
- I didn't know you needed it.
- You might have asked.
- I didn't want to wake you, and I was in a hurry.
Why? What could
possibly be so urgent?
Another ruin immortalized by Charles?
I'm getting thoroughly sick
of these love pilgrimages.
How can you make such a fuss
just because I took the car?
It's not only that. Everything you do
nowadays seems so utterly senseless.
You've become
quite intolerable.
All right. If that's the way you feel,
let's do something about it.
All right.
- Let's get a divorce.
- Good morning!
I've come to pick you up.
We should be leaving
for Pompeii immediately.
- Oh, that's impossible. I...
- But you can't miss this.
It's a special occasion,
something that's happened
very rarely since they've
been excavating at Pompeii.
They're going to make
a cast of the hollow place...
that has been left in the lava
by a human body!
- I'm sorry...
- Please, you must come.
Imagine that you see the shape
of a man just as he was then...
the moment
he was surprised by death.
It's an extraordinary experience.
Very few ever get a chance to see it.
I must insist. I'm sure
you'll thank me for it afterwards.
All these are new excavations.
It's on this spot
that they found a hollow space.
When the men find hollow ground,
they make a number of holes...
and through these
they pour plaster.
The plaster fills the hollow space
left in the ground by the body...
which has disintegrated.
The shapes of bodies
or objects buried...
for over 2,000 years
are reconstructed this way.
- Look! You can begin to see something!
- What is it?
Let's see.
Looks like a leg.
Yes.
There's an arm.
And there are two more legs.
Well!
It must be a group.
In the house of Menandro
they found the remains of nine people.
There's the head.
You can see the skull
with the plaster clinging to it.
And now the skull bones
and the teeth...
both remarkably
well-preserved.
Two people, just as they were
at the moment they died.
A man and a woman...
perhaps husband and wife,
who knows?...
may have found death
like this together.
- What's happened to Mrs. Joyce?
- I don't know.
- Is there anything I can do?
- No, I'll talk to her.
Katherine! What's the matter?
What's happened to you?
Oh, Alex, this is too much.
I can't stand it anymore.
Please take me home. I want to go home.
I don't want to stay here any longer.
Well, if that's
what you want, but...
we can't very well leave
these people like this.
They've been very kind,
and this isn't something they do every day.
- We owe them some kind of explanation.
- You explain to them. Say I'm sick or something.
All right.
My wife isn't feeling well. If you'll
excuse us, I think I'll take her home.
I'm terribly sorry.
You want me to go with you?
You know the way out, or would you like
me to take you somewhere she can rest?
- Come, I'll show you.
- No, it's better if I go myself.
She doesn't want anyone
around just at the moment.
But she'll be all right, and we'll
probably be back in a few minutes.
All right.
- Is this the way out?
- Yes, that's right.
You know,
I understand how you feel.
I was pretty moved myself.
But you must try
to pull yourself together.
Did it affect you the same way?
I... I've seen so many
strange things today...
that I didn't have the time
to tell you about.
There are many things
that I didn't tell you.
I'm sorry I answered you
in such a stupid way...
when I came back this morning.
Why?
Our situation is quite clear.
We've made our decision.
You don't have
to make any excuses.
Don't you want to look around a little,
as long as we're here?
No.
Nothing here that brings back
old memories?
Oh, stop it!
Must you continue to...
to harp on it?
I'm sick and tired
of your sarcasm.
We have decided to get a divorce,
and that settles it.
Life is so short.
That's why one should
make the most of it.
Look, I've been thinking.
Perhaps I ought
to leave immediately.
You seem to like it here, so why don't
you stay on until you've sold the house?
I'll take the plane back to London.
I think the best thing to do...
is to talk to a lawyer
and start proceedings.
Maybe what is wrong
with our marriage is that we...
we didn't have a child.
Well, you didn't want a child.
And now I agree with you.
You were quite right. You had
much more foresight than I did.
Imagine what it would be like
to have a child involved in this.
It would make the divorce
even more painful.
"Painful"?
Is it going to be
painful for you?
Well, more complicated.
What in the world is going on?
Look at all these people.
Look at the children.
This is awful.
We won't get through for hours.
Alex, listen.
Are you sure
we're doing the right thing?
Are you suddenly
getting sentimental?
Listen, we've been honest
with each other up till now.
Don't let's spoil everything.
How can they believe in that?
They're like
a bunch of children.
Children are happy.
Alex, I don't want you to hate me.
I don't want it to finish this way.
What are you driving at?
What game are you trying to play?
You've never understood me.
You've never even tried.
And now this nonsense.
What is it you want?
Nothing.
I despise you.
Well, come on.
Let's get out of this crowd.
Alex! Alex! Alex!
Alex!
Alex!
Oh, I don't want to lose you!
Katherine!
Katherine, what's wrong with us?
Why do we torture one another?
When you say things that hurt me,
I try to hurt you back.
But I can't any longer,
because I love you.
Perhaps we get hurt too easily.
Tell me that you love me.
If I do, will you promise
not to take advantage of me?
Yes. But tell me.
I want to hear you say it.
All right. I love you.