Mussolini: The Untold Story (1985): Season 1, Episode 1 - Episode #1.1 - full transcript
[Crowd cheering]
[Crowd chanting] Duce!
Duce! Duce!
Duce! Duce! Duce! Duce!
Duce! Duce! Duce!
Duce! Duce! Duce! Duce!
[Chanting continues]
Duce! Duce!
Duce! Duce! Duce!
[Chanting continues]
Duce! Duce! Duce! Duce!
[Chanting subsides]
I could have turned this drab,
grey hall into a camp...
..for the 60,000 Black Shirts
who marched with me to Rome.
[Cheering]
It is in my power to do so.
But it is not my wish.
At least,
it is not my wish... yet.
But the Assembly must not
forget that I can dissolve it
in two days or in two years.
I claim full powers given to me
by the king and by the people!
[Black Shirts cheer]
[Cheering subsides]
I am not just
"passing through" Rome.
I am here to stay.
I'm here to govern.
The people thirst to obey,
they thirst to be governed,
and they will obey.
Because they know that
everything that is wrong
will be put right.
As the nation's new prime
minister, I will defend Italy...
..against all men,
friends as well as enemies.
I pledge my life
upon this battleground,
ready to kill,
if that is required.
Or... to die.
[Cheering]
[Chanting] Duce!
Duce! Duce!
Duce! Duce! Duce! Duce!
[Applause drowns out
conversation]
Edda, it's about time!
[Laughs]
Oh!
- Who's been shaving you?
- [Chuckles]
One of my Black Shirts.
He lacks your tender touch.
Sit down.
I didn't come all the way
from Rome for a shave.
Where are the children?
You've always paid me
50 lira a month to do this.
Now that you're premier,
am I to be out of a job?
Come with me to Rome, Rachele.
The city is at my feet.
You should have been there.
The king stood at my side
on the balcony of his palace
and watched my good fascists
march by.
- Thousands of them, huh?
- Yeah.
My comrades from the north
and south, east and west,
pouring into the city
with my call.
- Ah, you know I hate Rome.
- Mm.
The Romans are snobs
and they're lazy.
- I'm changing all that.
- Don't talk.
I'm liable to cut you.
As if I'd tear up our roots here
just because you've taken
a new job.
Edda's doing well in school.
She's making friends.
Besides, how do I know
how long you'll keep this job?
You've always been an editor,
Benito, not a politician.
Oh, I give you a year at most,
and then it's back to Milan.
So, it's much better I stay here
with the children.
Why do you always look
on the dark side?
- There is no other side.
- Ah! You know that isn't true.
Sit down.
Even when we had nothing,
we had everything
because we had the future.
[Chuckles] Remember when I took
you from your sister's place,
we walked through the rain
to Forli?
- Hm.
- The little hotel?
And I demanded the finest room
with a bath.
[Laughing] And the clerk said,
"What do you want with a bath?
"Isn't the signorina
wet enough already?"
Is that such a dark memory,
Rachele?
- No.
- Mm.
How many times
have the authorities
thrown me into a cell for daring
to be a bearded revolutionary?
And do I ever stop
resisting them? Tell me!
What do I always say
to the judge?
"Acquit me,
you give me pleasure.
"Condemn me,
you do me honor."
Hardly dark.
On the contrary.
Very bright, very fiery.
They honored you a lot more
than they brought you pleasure.
You know, for so long when
you were away from me in jail,
I tried to remember
what your face looked like.
I shut my eyes
and all I could see
was the beard and the iron bars.
Still my husband is a man
with stripes on his face.
You will do as I say.
- Huh?
- [Door rattles]
- Papa!
- [Benito laughs]
I've come to take you
all back with me.
We're going to get a wonderful
villa with grass and trees,
and each one of you is going
to have your own room.
Leave the room. Edda,
take your brothers with you.
Right now.
I want you to stay here.
Bye, Papa.
You're determined to defy me.
You go run Italy, Benito,
if that's what you have to do.
I run this family.
Are you staying for dinner?
[Door slams]
I want everything moved out,
everything.
Is this suitable enough
for the wife of a premier?
You should be saving your money.
We're going to need it
when they let you go.
The villa's a gift
from a well-wisher.
I don't want my husband
accepting charity from the rich!
I make a token payment
but it's merely a gesture.
It's a thousand times larger
than our first apartment
in Forli.
There I could reach out
and touch the walls.
- Why do we need so much space?
- Let me show you my bedroom.
How do we find each other
in the dark?
Has it ever been
a problem before?
Here, the walk is simply longer.
Good morning, Baron.
[Footsteps approaching]
Baron Russo is here.
He says you're expecting him.
Send him in.
I interrupt your lunch,
Excellency?
A bourgeois habit,
this Italian siesta.
Millions of manhours wasted.
Well... they've sent you
to teach me
the manners expected
of a premier, haven't they?
I was advised, Excellency, that
you consented to the suggestion.
I didn't get where I am
because of manners.
If I may say so, Excellency,
my purpose is to acquaint you
with the rather complicated
matter of which clothes to wear
for which official occasions.
A matter of protocol
which every new premier
is expected to learn.
What did they say to you,
that I have, uh, rough edges?
The precise phrase,
Excellency, was
that you are still
as unleavened
as the piada bread
of your native province.
[Chuckles] Where do we start?
With your wardrobe, Excellency.
Is this new, Duce?
From the finest tailor in Rome.
It's magnificent...
for a visit to Scotland.
Are you planning
a trip there soon?
Cesira!
Burn it.
Am I actually supposed
to wear this?
Most definitely, Excellency.
[Laughing]
The only people
still wearing bowler hats
are the American comedians
Laurel and Hardy.
Too many clowns are
already running the world.
[Cheers, applause]
[Cheering, whistles]
Come in.
A desk here, a French bureau,
at least 12 feet across.
No other furniture except
two armchairs, here, here.
A reading stand here,
and there an atlas...
..of the world.
[♪ Man sings in Italian]
- Here you go.
- Grazie.
[Hollers]
[Whistle blows]
[Speaking Italian]
Ciao, ragazzi!
- Which of you is in charge?
- I, Il Duce.
The train is 14 hours late!
You're finished! You will never
work on the railroad again.
Get out of here
before I have you beaten.
You are now number one.
You will stay number one
as long as you're on time.
If you're even
five minutes late,
I will deal with you
as I have dealt with him.
Yes, Duce!
[Chanting]
[Groans]
Now, listen! This traitorous
person continues to sell wine
to minors despite the new law.
See what happens to those
who disobey the orders
of our leader,
Mussolini, Il Duce!
Il Duce!
[Man] 'Lies against the state
will no longer be tolerated!
'Socialist and Bolshevik papers
will be put to the torch!
'Out of fire, out of ashes,
only truth will survive!
'Hail the Duce!'
Fascists are claiming they have
just won a decisive victory
in the first nationwide election
they've permitted
since their march on Rome.
- I challenge that claim.
- [Rabble approaching]
Of 100 socialist candidates,
64 were barred
by fascist gangsters
from canvassing
their own districts.
One of our candidates was shot
to death in his own home
for even daring
to run for office.
Voters were accosted
at the polling stations
by fascist toughs
and warned they would be beaten
unless they voted
the fascist ticket.
And our newspapers,
our voice to the people,
have been burned to the ground.
The premier delivered the voting
booths to his black shirts,
and our printing presses
to his arsonists.
[Shouting and jeering]
I am simply exposing the facts!
[Shouting subsides]
Either they are true,
or you must prove them false.
[Jeers and whistles]
- [Bell ringing]
- Gentlemen.
- Gentlemen.
- [Bell ringing]
Gentlemen, please.
Enough!
Have you finished?
I have made my speech,
Your Excellency.
Now you can prepare
my funeral oration.
- How old do I look?
- 30, Excellency.
- If that.
- [Chuckles]
Tell me the truth.
Well, Excellency,
some people tend to think
that men who have matured
and are losing their hair
are older than they really are.
What if I shave it off, my
entire head, right to the scalp?
It's possible, Excellency,
although I would hesitate to
make such a statement in advance
that you might look younger and
even more virile than you are.
Shave it off.
Excellent!
It takes years off, Excellency.
- [Whispers]
- Hm.
[Door opens]
How long do I have?
You know your husband's schedule
better than I do.
If I asked,
would you have him exiled?
[Chuckles]
- Is that what you wish for?
- The Caesars did such things.
It's rumored
that Your Excellency
has adopted a similar policy.
Only for enemies of the state.
I can think of no Roman
who is more my benefactor
than your husband.
[Birdsong]
Bucchini.
Tell me, what happened?
Here's what you wanted.
The assassins cut that off
Matteotti's shirt
as proof they killed him.
Who did this, our people?
- Yes, Duce.
- Who?
Marinelli, Dumini.
Volpi, Viola, Poveromo.
They have done me more harm
than my deadliest enemies.
I want them all tried in public
and then shot.
But, Excellency,
they must, in fact,
have done the party
a great favor.
Your most outspoken critic
has now been silenced.
Permanently.
You miss the point, Bucchini.
I cannot permit anyone,
especially my own fascists,
to act on their own.
Excellency.
[Door closes]
So, Tarabella,
you and these others
have something on your mind,
speak up.
Why do you punish good fascists?
The assassins of Matteotti
are not good fascists.
They're common criminals.
If you put them on trial,
you put us on trial, too.
You put yourself on trial.
The days of the squadristi
are over.
We have the power now.
We need to normalize things.
The only way to normalize things
is to shoot our enemies,
not fellow fascists.
I warn you, Tarabella,
that you stand here defying me
is in itself an act of sedition
punishable by the firing squad.
We are your firing squad, Duce.
We brought you here to rule.
Are you afraid
to take responsibility
for the revolution you created?
[Cheering]
[Screams, horns honk]
Bullets pass,
but your husband remains.
- Who was it?
- A poor shot, fortunately.
The hole in the sleeve
I can fix, Benito.
But the green sash?
With you at my side, Rachele,
with all your strength,
how can I fail?
This only confirms
what I told you.
This job is not permanent.
[Laughs]
Take off your jacket.
I'm glad you made us
come to Rome, Benito.
I'm glad.
If anything happens,
we'll be together.
[Benito] 'Let there be an end
to all dissent.'
His Majesty supports me.
I now ask for the support
of the people.
Today, I told
the Chamber of Deputies
that I have abolished
all political parties in Italy
save for the Fascist Party.
Everything for the state.
Nothing outside the state.
Nothing above the state!
[Crowd cheering]
[Chanting] Duce! Duce! Duce!
Duce! Duce! Duce!
Duce! Duce! Duce! Duce!
First one to the top of the pine
tree gets all the dessert!
[Laughs]
So, I'm still queen
of the mountain, huh?
No, Bruno!
- You got him?
- Yeah, I got him.
All right, take his hand.
Okay, he's there.
You won't tell Papa?
No! Not if you'll promise
to stop taking such chances.
You're not a bird, you know.
I promise. You won't tell?
- No.
- Vittorio?
Not a word to Papa, I promise.
Phew.
[Reporter] 'As promised,
Il Duce,
'the youngest premier
in the history of Italy,
'has given our nation hope
for the future.
'In a few short months,
he has brought the country
'from a state of near anarchy
and civil war
'to a position of promise
for the future.
'Swamps are being drained,
'bumper crops of wheat
are being harvested,
'roads and hydro-electric
projects are being built,
'and law and order has
once more been restored,
'thanks to the dedicated efforts
of the Fascist Party.'
[Laughter]
[Applause]
Stop.
[Whirring stops]
And that's just the beginning.
Oh, Papa, you make me so proud.
Oh! Sometimes I wish
I were a man.
[Chuckles]
All this glory does not change
my condition for moving to Rome.
No politicians allowed
in my home.
Haven't I kept them occupied
elsewhere?
You may leave now.
Edda, you stay.
Your mother has called a certain
matter to my attention.
Sit.
Your behavior, young lady,
since we've moved to Rome.
Too many flirtations.
Why shouldn't I see
a lot of young men?
Nineteen's too young
to get married!
Your mother wasn't much older
than that when you were born.
But she was almost 30 before
you married her, wasn't she?
You expect me
to wait until I'm 30?
We were socialists then.
We didn't believe in marriage.
Must I remind you,
in view of the fact
that you personally
attended both functions,
that subsequently, your mother
and I were married twice,
once in a civil ceremony,
once in a religious ceremony.
You only did it for political
reasons. You're both atheists!
Ow!
Don't you raise your voice
to your...
You always say you don't
believe in God!
Isn't that
what an atheist is?
She was never like this
in Milan, never!
She was never 19 before,
either.
There are too many temptations
in Rome. I knew it!
All right, all right.
Since you can't make up
your own mind,
your mother and I will arrange
a proper marriage for you.
Papa, I will say this only once.
If you insist on arranging
a marriage I don't approve of
to a boy I don't want,
I will run away.
- And go where?
- To some other country
where people are free
to make their own choices!
Get out the way.
Who bought her a new automobile
so she could drive all over Rome
meeting the wrong kind
of people?
If she's old enough
to be married,
she's old enough to drive.
[Engine starts]
Since I have been in office,
I have learned many things
about these Romans.
Only 20 kilometers away
is the world's most
beautiful sea, the Tyrrhenian,
but they seem to ignore it.
Nobody goes, nobody swims,
nobody sails. It's ridiculous!
How can we build strong bodies
unless our people take to sport,
not sit around on Sunday in
the piazza listening to opera?
Today, I have dedicated
this new road.
I've built it
to join Rome to the sea.
But what if the Romans
don't use it, Papa?
Well, even a Roman has enough
curiosity to explore a new road.
Stop the car. Over there.
I have to admit there has been
some criticism of this road.
- Even from the king.
- [Rachele] Benito!
I think it's the baby coming.
I'll take you right back.
[Vehicle approaching]
More!
They're using it!
You stay here
and count the cars.
The police will watch over you.
I'll send the limousine back
as soon as I've taken care
of your mother.
[Rachele moans]
There's something
I have to tell you.
I've been hiding it from you.
Edda's been lying to us.
She's just pretending
to see a lot of young men.
She's really just been
seeing one.
I'm afraid that
she's in love with him.
- Who is he?
- [Groans]
A Jew.
How can she be in love
with a Jew?
Well, at least this daughter
has short hair,
clearly proving
that she belongs to me.
[Chuckles]
Do you remember how Edda
used to drive me insane
by twisting a lock of hair
around her finger
while she sucked her thumb
and tried to go to sleep?
Yes, and you solved the problem
by cutting all her hair off.
I was so afraid
she'd die from crying
or from lack of sleep.
And then, that's when I had
a stroke of genius.
In order to compensate her
for the loss of her hair,
I attached an ear of corn
to the crib,
let the corn silk hang down
so she could wrap
her fingers around it.
- Did it work?
- Yeah.
Till we got so hungry we had
to eat the corn, hair and all!
[Laughs]
[Distant owl hoots]
[Sighs]
Oh!
It can't be that bad,
carissima.
Why did you take my car away?
It was my one freedom.
[Sighs] I did it to demonstrate
my disapproval
of your new boyfriend, the one
you've been hiding from us.
Is his being Jewish
so unthinkable, Papa?
It isn't only us, child.
I spoke to the young
man's father.
Not as Il Duce to a citizen,
but as one father to another.
His family is very orthodox.
They are more opposed
to any talk of marriage
between you and their son
than we are.
I'm sorry, Edda,
but that's the way it is.
You're not just saying this
to try and stop me, are you?
If you don't want to believe me,
go and ask the boy himself.
What does your mother say?
Whatever my father says.
What do you say?
That I love you.
Enough to defy
your parents and mine?
My father may send me
to America.
Why?
If I continue to see you.
Well, I wouldn't want
to be the cause
of any loyal Italian
having to emigrate.
[Woman] Be glad you find out
now how spineless he is
rather than later.
I don't know
if this is wise of me,
but tell me what you think
of this young man.
He's beautiful. Who is he?
It's my brother, Galeazzo.
- How old is he?
- 27.
Why have I never met him?
He's been secretary
at the embassy in Argentina.
He's coming home this month.
Papa's giving a party
in his honor.
Ooh, I accept.
- I'll be there!
- I have to warn you.
He's made several...
..well, female conquests.
Good for him.
Including the celebrated actress
Paola Borboni.
Oh, now, I'm jealous!
That was when he was only 20.
I don't know if he's got
marriage in mind.
Well... neither do I.
[♪ Band playing]
[Hum of conversation]
- [Laughing]
- A man's just for show!
Stop it!
So? What do you think
of my brother?
The snapshot
didn't do him justice.
Are you ready to meet him?
Maria, do I look all right?
- You look beautiful!
- What if he doesn't like me?
Then I'll never speak
to him again. Galeazzo!
This is my dearest friend, Edda.
- Edda Mussolini.
- Il Duce's daughter?
Tonight is January 27th,
is it not?
Is it?
I shall remember this particular
date from this moment
until the last day of my life.
How many times have you
told that to other girls?
At least 97 times.
[Both women laugh]
- And is it usually effective?
- Devastating.
Maria insists you're extremely
intelligent. Are you?
I am extreme in everything.
May I have this dance?
Would you mind if I only
danced with you tonight?
- Would that embarrass you?
- On the contrary.
I would find it... devastating.
[Both laugh]
[Crowd chanting] Duce!
Duce! Duce!
Duce! Duce! Duce! Duce!
Duce! Duce! Duce!
Duce! Duce! Duce! Duce!
[Chanting continues]
Duce! Duce!
Duce! Duce! Duce!
[Chanting continues]
Duce! Duce! Duce! Duce!
[Chanting subsides]
I could have turned this drab,
grey hall into a camp...
..for the 60,000 Black Shirts
who marched with me to Rome.
[Cheering]
It is in my power to do so.
But it is not my wish.
At least,
it is not my wish... yet.
But the Assembly must not
forget that I can dissolve it
in two days or in two years.
I claim full powers given to me
by the king and by the people!
[Black Shirts cheer]
[Cheering subsides]
I am not just
"passing through" Rome.
I am here to stay.
I'm here to govern.
The people thirst to obey,
they thirst to be governed,
and they will obey.
Because they know that
everything that is wrong
will be put right.
As the nation's new prime
minister, I will defend Italy...
..against all men,
friends as well as enemies.
I pledge my life
upon this battleground,
ready to kill,
if that is required.
Or... to die.
[Cheering]
[Chanting] Duce!
Duce! Duce!
Duce! Duce! Duce! Duce!
[Applause drowns out
conversation]
Edda, it's about time!
[Laughs]
Oh!
- Who's been shaving you?
- [Chuckles]
One of my Black Shirts.
He lacks your tender touch.
Sit down.
I didn't come all the way
from Rome for a shave.
Where are the children?
You've always paid me
50 lira a month to do this.
Now that you're premier,
am I to be out of a job?
Come with me to Rome, Rachele.
The city is at my feet.
You should have been there.
The king stood at my side
on the balcony of his palace
and watched my good fascists
march by.
- Thousands of them, huh?
- Yeah.
My comrades from the north
and south, east and west,
pouring into the city
with my call.
- Ah, you know I hate Rome.
- Mm.
The Romans are snobs
and they're lazy.
- I'm changing all that.
- Don't talk.
I'm liable to cut you.
As if I'd tear up our roots here
just because you've taken
a new job.
Edda's doing well in school.
She's making friends.
Besides, how do I know
how long you'll keep this job?
You've always been an editor,
Benito, not a politician.
Oh, I give you a year at most,
and then it's back to Milan.
So, it's much better I stay here
with the children.
Why do you always look
on the dark side?
- There is no other side.
- Ah! You know that isn't true.
Sit down.
Even when we had nothing,
we had everything
because we had the future.
[Chuckles] Remember when I took
you from your sister's place,
we walked through the rain
to Forli?
- Hm.
- The little hotel?
And I demanded the finest room
with a bath.
[Laughing] And the clerk said,
"What do you want with a bath?
"Isn't the signorina
wet enough already?"
Is that such a dark memory,
Rachele?
- No.
- Mm.
How many times
have the authorities
thrown me into a cell for daring
to be a bearded revolutionary?
And do I ever stop
resisting them? Tell me!
What do I always say
to the judge?
"Acquit me,
you give me pleasure.
"Condemn me,
you do me honor."
Hardly dark.
On the contrary.
Very bright, very fiery.
They honored you a lot more
than they brought you pleasure.
You know, for so long when
you were away from me in jail,
I tried to remember
what your face looked like.
I shut my eyes
and all I could see
was the beard and the iron bars.
Still my husband is a man
with stripes on his face.
You will do as I say.
- Huh?
- [Door rattles]
- Papa!
- [Benito laughs]
I've come to take you
all back with me.
We're going to get a wonderful
villa with grass and trees,
and each one of you is going
to have your own room.
Leave the room. Edda,
take your brothers with you.
Right now.
I want you to stay here.
Bye, Papa.
You're determined to defy me.
You go run Italy, Benito,
if that's what you have to do.
I run this family.
Are you staying for dinner?
[Door slams]
I want everything moved out,
everything.
Is this suitable enough
for the wife of a premier?
You should be saving your money.
We're going to need it
when they let you go.
The villa's a gift
from a well-wisher.
I don't want my husband
accepting charity from the rich!
I make a token payment
but it's merely a gesture.
It's a thousand times larger
than our first apartment
in Forli.
There I could reach out
and touch the walls.
- Why do we need so much space?
- Let me show you my bedroom.
How do we find each other
in the dark?
Has it ever been
a problem before?
Here, the walk is simply longer.
Good morning, Baron.
[Footsteps approaching]
Baron Russo is here.
He says you're expecting him.
Send him in.
I interrupt your lunch,
Excellency?
A bourgeois habit,
this Italian siesta.
Millions of manhours wasted.
Well... they've sent you
to teach me
the manners expected
of a premier, haven't they?
I was advised, Excellency, that
you consented to the suggestion.
I didn't get where I am
because of manners.
If I may say so, Excellency,
my purpose is to acquaint you
with the rather complicated
matter of which clothes to wear
for which official occasions.
A matter of protocol
which every new premier
is expected to learn.
What did they say to you,
that I have, uh, rough edges?
The precise phrase,
Excellency, was
that you are still
as unleavened
as the piada bread
of your native province.
[Chuckles] Where do we start?
With your wardrobe, Excellency.
Is this new, Duce?
From the finest tailor in Rome.
It's magnificent...
for a visit to Scotland.
Are you planning
a trip there soon?
Cesira!
Burn it.
Am I actually supposed
to wear this?
Most definitely, Excellency.
[Laughing]
The only people
still wearing bowler hats
are the American comedians
Laurel and Hardy.
Too many clowns are
already running the world.
[Cheers, applause]
[Cheering, whistles]
Come in.
A desk here, a French bureau,
at least 12 feet across.
No other furniture except
two armchairs, here, here.
A reading stand here,
and there an atlas...
..of the world.
[♪ Man sings in Italian]
- Here you go.
- Grazie.
[Hollers]
[Whistle blows]
[Speaking Italian]
Ciao, ragazzi!
- Which of you is in charge?
- I, Il Duce.
The train is 14 hours late!
You're finished! You will never
work on the railroad again.
Get out of here
before I have you beaten.
You are now number one.
You will stay number one
as long as you're on time.
If you're even
five minutes late,
I will deal with you
as I have dealt with him.
Yes, Duce!
[Chanting]
[Groans]
Now, listen! This traitorous
person continues to sell wine
to minors despite the new law.
See what happens to those
who disobey the orders
of our leader,
Mussolini, Il Duce!
Il Duce!
[Man] 'Lies against the state
will no longer be tolerated!
'Socialist and Bolshevik papers
will be put to the torch!
'Out of fire, out of ashes,
only truth will survive!
'Hail the Duce!'
Fascists are claiming they have
just won a decisive victory
in the first nationwide election
they've permitted
since their march on Rome.
- I challenge that claim.
- [Rabble approaching]
Of 100 socialist candidates,
64 were barred
by fascist gangsters
from canvassing
their own districts.
One of our candidates was shot
to death in his own home
for even daring
to run for office.
Voters were accosted
at the polling stations
by fascist toughs
and warned they would be beaten
unless they voted
the fascist ticket.
And our newspapers,
our voice to the people,
have been burned to the ground.
The premier delivered the voting
booths to his black shirts,
and our printing presses
to his arsonists.
[Shouting and jeering]
I am simply exposing the facts!
[Shouting subsides]
Either they are true,
or you must prove them false.
[Jeers and whistles]
- [Bell ringing]
- Gentlemen.
- Gentlemen.
- [Bell ringing]
Gentlemen, please.
Enough!
Have you finished?
I have made my speech,
Your Excellency.
Now you can prepare
my funeral oration.
- How old do I look?
- 30, Excellency.
- If that.
- [Chuckles]
Tell me the truth.
Well, Excellency,
some people tend to think
that men who have matured
and are losing their hair
are older than they really are.
What if I shave it off, my
entire head, right to the scalp?
It's possible, Excellency,
although I would hesitate to
make such a statement in advance
that you might look younger and
even more virile than you are.
Shave it off.
Excellent!
It takes years off, Excellency.
- [Whispers]
- Hm.
[Door opens]
How long do I have?
You know your husband's schedule
better than I do.
If I asked,
would you have him exiled?
[Chuckles]
- Is that what you wish for?
- The Caesars did such things.
It's rumored
that Your Excellency
has adopted a similar policy.
Only for enemies of the state.
I can think of no Roman
who is more my benefactor
than your husband.
[Birdsong]
Bucchini.
Tell me, what happened?
Here's what you wanted.
The assassins cut that off
Matteotti's shirt
as proof they killed him.
Who did this, our people?
- Yes, Duce.
- Who?
Marinelli, Dumini.
Volpi, Viola, Poveromo.
They have done me more harm
than my deadliest enemies.
I want them all tried in public
and then shot.
But, Excellency,
they must, in fact,
have done the party
a great favor.
Your most outspoken critic
has now been silenced.
Permanently.
You miss the point, Bucchini.
I cannot permit anyone,
especially my own fascists,
to act on their own.
Excellency.
[Door closes]
So, Tarabella,
you and these others
have something on your mind,
speak up.
Why do you punish good fascists?
The assassins of Matteotti
are not good fascists.
They're common criminals.
If you put them on trial,
you put us on trial, too.
You put yourself on trial.
The days of the squadristi
are over.
We have the power now.
We need to normalize things.
The only way to normalize things
is to shoot our enemies,
not fellow fascists.
I warn you, Tarabella,
that you stand here defying me
is in itself an act of sedition
punishable by the firing squad.
We are your firing squad, Duce.
We brought you here to rule.
Are you afraid
to take responsibility
for the revolution you created?
[Cheering]
[Screams, horns honk]
Bullets pass,
but your husband remains.
- Who was it?
- A poor shot, fortunately.
The hole in the sleeve
I can fix, Benito.
But the green sash?
With you at my side, Rachele,
with all your strength,
how can I fail?
This only confirms
what I told you.
This job is not permanent.
[Laughs]
Take off your jacket.
I'm glad you made us
come to Rome, Benito.
I'm glad.
If anything happens,
we'll be together.
[Benito] 'Let there be an end
to all dissent.'
His Majesty supports me.
I now ask for the support
of the people.
Today, I told
the Chamber of Deputies
that I have abolished
all political parties in Italy
save for the Fascist Party.
Everything for the state.
Nothing outside the state.
Nothing above the state!
[Crowd cheering]
[Chanting] Duce! Duce! Duce!
Duce! Duce! Duce!
Duce! Duce! Duce! Duce!
First one to the top of the pine
tree gets all the dessert!
[Laughs]
So, I'm still queen
of the mountain, huh?
No, Bruno!
- You got him?
- Yeah, I got him.
All right, take his hand.
Okay, he's there.
You won't tell Papa?
No! Not if you'll promise
to stop taking such chances.
You're not a bird, you know.
I promise. You won't tell?
- No.
- Vittorio?
Not a word to Papa, I promise.
Phew.
[Reporter] 'As promised,
Il Duce,
'the youngest premier
in the history of Italy,
'has given our nation hope
for the future.
'In a few short months,
he has brought the country
'from a state of near anarchy
and civil war
'to a position of promise
for the future.
'Swamps are being drained,
'bumper crops of wheat
are being harvested,
'roads and hydro-electric
projects are being built,
'and law and order has
once more been restored,
'thanks to the dedicated efforts
of the Fascist Party.'
[Laughter]
[Applause]
Stop.
[Whirring stops]
And that's just the beginning.
Oh, Papa, you make me so proud.
Oh! Sometimes I wish
I were a man.
[Chuckles]
All this glory does not change
my condition for moving to Rome.
No politicians allowed
in my home.
Haven't I kept them occupied
elsewhere?
You may leave now.
Edda, you stay.
Your mother has called a certain
matter to my attention.
Sit.
Your behavior, young lady,
since we've moved to Rome.
Too many flirtations.
Why shouldn't I see
a lot of young men?
Nineteen's too young
to get married!
Your mother wasn't much older
than that when you were born.
But she was almost 30 before
you married her, wasn't she?
You expect me
to wait until I'm 30?
We were socialists then.
We didn't believe in marriage.
Must I remind you,
in view of the fact
that you personally
attended both functions,
that subsequently, your mother
and I were married twice,
once in a civil ceremony,
once in a religious ceremony.
You only did it for political
reasons. You're both atheists!
Ow!
Don't you raise your voice
to your...
You always say you don't
believe in God!
Isn't that
what an atheist is?
She was never like this
in Milan, never!
She was never 19 before,
either.
There are too many temptations
in Rome. I knew it!
All right, all right.
Since you can't make up
your own mind,
your mother and I will arrange
a proper marriage for you.
Papa, I will say this only once.
If you insist on arranging
a marriage I don't approve of
to a boy I don't want,
I will run away.
- And go where?
- To some other country
where people are free
to make their own choices!
Get out the way.
Who bought her a new automobile
so she could drive all over Rome
meeting the wrong kind
of people?
If she's old enough
to be married,
she's old enough to drive.
[Engine starts]
Since I have been in office,
I have learned many things
about these Romans.
Only 20 kilometers away
is the world's most
beautiful sea, the Tyrrhenian,
but they seem to ignore it.
Nobody goes, nobody swims,
nobody sails. It's ridiculous!
How can we build strong bodies
unless our people take to sport,
not sit around on Sunday in
the piazza listening to opera?
Today, I have dedicated
this new road.
I've built it
to join Rome to the sea.
But what if the Romans
don't use it, Papa?
Well, even a Roman has enough
curiosity to explore a new road.
Stop the car. Over there.
I have to admit there has been
some criticism of this road.
- Even from the king.
- [Rachele] Benito!
I think it's the baby coming.
I'll take you right back.
[Vehicle approaching]
More!
They're using it!
You stay here
and count the cars.
The police will watch over you.
I'll send the limousine back
as soon as I've taken care
of your mother.
[Rachele moans]
There's something
I have to tell you.
I've been hiding it from you.
Edda's been lying to us.
She's just pretending
to see a lot of young men.
She's really just been
seeing one.
I'm afraid that
she's in love with him.
- Who is he?
- [Groans]
A Jew.
How can she be in love
with a Jew?
Well, at least this daughter
has short hair,
clearly proving
that she belongs to me.
[Chuckles]
Do you remember how Edda
used to drive me insane
by twisting a lock of hair
around her finger
while she sucked her thumb
and tried to go to sleep?
Yes, and you solved the problem
by cutting all her hair off.
I was so afraid
she'd die from crying
or from lack of sleep.
And then, that's when I had
a stroke of genius.
In order to compensate her
for the loss of her hair,
I attached an ear of corn
to the crib,
let the corn silk hang down
so she could wrap
her fingers around it.
- Did it work?
- Yeah.
Till we got so hungry we had
to eat the corn, hair and all!
[Laughs]
[Distant owl hoots]
[Sighs]
Oh!
It can't be that bad,
carissima.
Why did you take my car away?
It was my one freedom.
[Sighs] I did it to demonstrate
my disapproval
of your new boyfriend, the one
you've been hiding from us.
Is his being Jewish
so unthinkable, Papa?
It isn't only us, child.
I spoke to the young
man's father.
Not as Il Duce to a citizen,
but as one father to another.
His family is very orthodox.
They are more opposed
to any talk of marriage
between you and their son
than we are.
I'm sorry, Edda,
but that's the way it is.
You're not just saying this
to try and stop me, are you?
If you don't want to believe me,
go and ask the boy himself.
What does your mother say?
Whatever my father says.
What do you say?
That I love you.
Enough to defy
your parents and mine?
My father may send me
to America.
Why?
If I continue to see you.
Well, I wouldn't want
to be the cause
of any loyal Italian
having to emigrate.
[Woman] Be glad you find out
now how spineless he is
rather than later.
I don't know
if this is wise of me,
but tell me what you think
of this young man.
He's beautiful. Who is he?
It's my brother, Galeazzo.
- How old is he?
- 27.
Why have I never met him?
He's been secretary
at the embassy in Argentina.
He's coming home this month.
Papa's giving a party
in his honor.
Ooh, I accept.
- I'll be there!
- I have to warn you.
He's made several...
..well, female conquests.
Good for him.
Including the celebrated actress
Paola Borboni.
Oh, now, I'm jealous!
That was when he was only 20.
I don't know if he's got
marriage in mind.
Well... neither do I.
[♪ Band playing]
[Hum of conversation]
- [Laughing]
- A man's just for show!
Stop it!
So? What do you think
of my brother?
The snapshot
didn't do him justice.
Are you ready to meet him?
Maria, do I look all right?
- You look beautiful!
- What if he doesn't like me?
Then I'll never speak
to him again. Galeazzo!
This is my dearest friend, Edda.
- Edda Mussolini.
- Il Duce's daughter?
Tonight is January 27th,
is it not?
Is it?
I shall remember this particular
date from this moment
until the last day of my life.
How many times have you
told that to other girls?
At least 97 times.
[Both women laugh]
- And is it usually effective?
- Devastating.
Maria insists you're extremely
intelligent. Are you?
I am extreme in everything.
May I have this dance?
Would you mind if I only
danced with you tonight?
- Would that embarrass you?
- On the contrary.
I would find it... devastating.
[Both laugh]