A Burning Hot Summer (2011) - full transcript

A hot summer

Frederick is dead.

He was my best friend.

Frederick was a painter.

I'd met him through a mutual friend.

"He'll interest you,"
our friend had said.

Hello.

The friend I told you about.

This is Paul.

Hi, Paul. Come in.

I was rolling a joint,



If you're interested.

Nothing to show us?

Nothing.

There's a picture in the hall, but...

i shouldn't have move to Rome.

Yeah?

All that dead beauty
is so uninspiring.

I'll show it to you

Can I come?

By all means.

Frederic lived with Angele,

Frederic!

A movie actress working in Italy.

I'd seen her in magazines.



She was already famous.

Hi, Damien.

This is Paul, a friend of Damien?s.

Angele, my wife.

Hello.

Are you coming?
War are you up to? We'll be late

Help me get this splinter
out of my foot.

Careful, don't break it.

Hold on. It's a bitch.

We're heading off.

See you, guys...

bye.

Have you got it?

Yes.

It was a mean one. Look.

Enormous.

I was alone in my life.

Frederic painted.

I wanted to be in the movies,

An actor.

Meanwhile, I worked as an extra.

And played bit parts.

You're a motorcyclist
with the 3rd Spanish

Alpine battalion.

It's 3am.
You're asleep on a bed, fully clothed

With two women beside you.
One is an a. F.A.T., a truck driver.

The other's a resistance mascot.

You're woken by machine gun fire,
right nearby.

It's the Germans.

You hear noises in the distance.
Truck engines, mules braying...

the Germans are disengaging.

You go out to the yard.

In an upstairs room,
the officers are nervous

But you stay calm.

Totally unfazed.

Coolly, you get in position
with a machine gun.

A shadowy figure beckons to you.

It's a sergeant with a plan
he wants to try.

He wants to set up
a heavy machine gun in a ditch

And open fire
on the retreating Germans.

Suddenly, a shadowy row of soldiers
is moving towards you.

You have your machine gun.
You shoot.

It jams. You have a pistol.

You empty it into the shadows.

Then, nothing.

Roland!

Come here.

- Can you take...
- Paul.

And give him a luger?

Because his machine gun jams.

See you later.

That was howl met Elisabeth.

She had a small part.

The resistance mascot.

Night wings, scene 5, take 1.

In the morning after we wrapped,
we chatted in the wardrobe room

And went back to Paris together.

I've been with her ever since

You seemed to be really asleep.

Actually, I was.

You were?

Don't tell, will you?

No.

But I doubt if anyone would mind.

Excuse me.

Happy lovebirds?

I could do nothing forever.

Thanks!
That won't pay the rent.

Is it true what you said
a few days ago?

If a man has no money,
no woman wants to be with him?

Yes.

I have no money.

You do.

You earn money as a day player.

It's enough for me.

If not, you wouldn't be with me?

No.

I don't need much.

I need to be loved,

Maybe more than other,
but that's all.

I've made some suicide attempts.

Why on earth?

I don't know.

The fear of the void...

of being engulfed...

I lost my best friend when I was 16.

It was a medical error.
The doctors killed her.

So...

for a long time,
I felt I had no right to live

Insurrection!

Get insurrection here!

Insurrection, madam'?

How many did you sell?

Three.

Three?

Don't laugh. Three's not bad.

I'd seen Frederic again
but I wanted him to meet my girl.

I met him first

I don't know about you,
but I can't live without a woman.

The times when I?ve lived alone
were horrible.

I was sad.

I felt lack

A lack of what, I didn't know,
but it was that.

- Is it like that for you?
- Yes.

I hope you get married.

Why?

I think' it's a good idea

If you want kids, maybe.

I don't want kids and I?m married.

Police!

What an asshole!

That fucking Sarkozy!

In the wagon!

Frederic and Angele moved
to a big apartment in Rome.

He invited me there with Elisabeth.

He said he'd show me his paintings.

- Hello.
- Hello.

Come in.

Elisabeth, Angele.

Hi guys

You could have met them
at the station.

I was asleep.

- The train was late.
- Sorry.

Elisabeth, Frederic.

Nice to meet you. Welcome.

Come on in.

Come.

It's gorgeous.

- Do you know Rome?
- It's my first time.

Everything ok?

She seems really nice.

Yes.

Don't do that.

We have a housekeeper.

I usually only show them to friends.

If they really want one,

I give it to them.

I know you don't need to sell.

You're lucky.

Lucky, yes and no.

How come?

It depends on the day.

I'm not complaining, though.

I wanted to be a painter too

You did?

So why didn't you?

I think movies are better.
For me.

Who's that?

My grandfather.

He's dead.

His grandfathers was in the resistance
like my dad.

It was he who had raised Frederic.

His parents had died
when he was young.

Do you want me to ask you
to marry me?

Yes, maybe

Do you need it?

I don't know...

It's a way of saying
"I believe in you. "

But I?m not saying I need it

I want to feel your love
and that you're proud of me.

I wear this in the movie.

How do you like it?

It's fabulous.

I had a hard job getting the wardrobe
mistress to let me take it home.

- You like it?
- It's stunning.

This one's gorgeous, too.

Want to try it on?

I'll help you.

It'll suit you great.

Have it.

I don't want it.
You can't give it to me.

Why not?

It looks made for you.

What am I supposed to do with all this?
Take it with me when I die?

What's the matter?

There's a giant rat in there!

Don't worry about it...

don't worry...

it's only a rat, my love.

It's nothing.

Calm down.

I could stay here all my life.

Why don't you?

How?

Just stay here.

You're crazy.

Why am I crazy?

You mean it?

I mean it.

You'd get fed up.

Why would it?

We can't be together
all the time.

We're not together.

We're side by side.
There's a difference.

Friendship isn't love.

It's something else.

You never spend time
with me anymore.

You're always with Frederic.

The revolution, to me...

the more I think, the more I need it.

I need the hope of it.

Without it,
I?d have nothing to hold on to.

But revolutions kill people.

Millions and millions.
Do you want that?

They did in the past.
They don't have to in the future.

Not necessarily.

The people who fought in the war,
my father, your grandfather...

without the hope of revolution,
they might not have fought.

Did they have any choice?
Of course they'd have fought.

They had no choice.

When the revolution didn't come,
they despaired.

So? That's no reason.

Personally, it doesn't make
me despair in the least.

Guys who say, "stuff all the bourgeois
down the toilet and shoot them... "

I'm in no hurry for their revolution

You can't be against the revolution.

You'd be reactionary,

And reactionaries
are always pro-Fascist.

Yes, maybe.

But I have my painting, my wife...

and that's what I hold on to.

Love and art.

I take your point.

But the revolution has to be.

Somehow, I know it.

Otherwise it's war

There's no alternative.

It's obvious.

Isn't it beautiful?

Angele is so sweet.

I may not dare to wear it.
Frederic gave it to her.

What's the matter?
Say something.

I don't know.

It was her idea.
She made me take it.

It's good if we're friends.

You're such a jerk!

Were you any good?

At what?

Painting.

I don't think so

- Did you keep any?
- No.

Won't you show me?

Do my portrait. Just a drawing.

Never. I'd be too ashamed.

In a movie, yes, or a stage play.

I'll base a character on you one day

Yeah?

- You won't recognize yourself.
- I'd love to see it.

Maybe I?ll be better.

Better than in real life.

Ready to go?

Did you have fun?

You had a good time whoring around.

That's enough.

Are you ok?

I hate him.

I can't go on living
with a man like him.

He's vicious.

He wasn't like that before.

I'm not a masochist.

I'm not made for self-Sacrifice.

I loved it when he adored me.
Now he doesn't. What can I do?

Wait, hope and suffer? Not me

I don't know.
He obviously loves you.

He doesn't even see me anymore.

He used to love me. He showed it.

He painted me.

Now he'll paint anything other than me

I hate me who want
to control everything.

Moni has offered me a part.
Frederic wants me to say no.

I was an actress before we met
and I?ll be one afterward.

He wants me to be a housewife

But I hate cooking.
I feel I?m wasting my time.

Men always blame you
for what they do to you.

One day, I found out
Frederic uses whores

I swear.

He said fidelity
is an outdated, petty-Bourgeois concept

And he isn't into it.

I was so disgusted,
I couldn?t bear to let him near me.

When I met him,
I never dreamed it would end like this.

The I started fooling around myself...

with men.

And Frederic found out.

I didn't do it for revenge.
It just happened.

Frederic went berserk.

He called me a bitch, a whore...
you name it.

He even said he wished I was dead

And if prison didn't scare him,
he'd kill me.

I reminded him
of his speeches about fidelity.

He said there's no comparison,

It's different for men,

And anyway,
he'd only been with whores.

My love,

I'm sorry if I hurt you.

You know I can't live without you.

My life would crumble
into shapeless ruins.

I'd fall prey to dark thoughts
and wait for nightfall.

But instead, the day is dawning,

And whether it's sunny or chilly

It's good to be out until the evening,
when you'll lie quietly with me.

Life owes since I met you.
You've always been my only love.

Shit.

I don't want to break up.
I really don't.

I don't want to break up.

Never.

Paul!

Elisabeth, you come too.

Angele's movie got rave reviews.

Be quiet!

What do they say?

Wait, I don't understand Italian.

"A major star is born.

Accustomed to minor roles
in Italian films,

Angele Brandi finds in angel heaven

Character worthy of her ambitions

- Wow.
- It's unreal!

You're quiet, Angele.

What?

Have some coffee?

On the review!

- Want some?
- Yes

You're so beautiful!

Steady here.

It's true!

Thanks.

"Immigrants listed
by race and religion.

Italy sets up
register of lent dwellers. "

Elisabeth,
I didn't know you sleepwalked.

- I don't.
- You do.

You sleepwalk.

What's up?

I don't know!
Frederic says I sleepwalk.

- You might.
- You do.

You wandered around the pool
last night, hugging a pillow.

You sleepwalk.

How awful!

You think Angele is gorgeous.

Well, obviously.

You do?

She's not exactly hideous.

You said I was blind when I said
she's no prettier than you, and now

What's bothering you?

- Nothing.
- Tell me.

Nothing.

Out there on the patio, you said.

"You're so beautiful! " As if...

as if I wanted to shag hen'?

Make up your mind. Yesterday, you said
all men want to shag her.

So you do want to shag her.

Don't be silly.
She's Frederic wife!

Is that the only reason?

God, you're a pain

It's the only reason.
Happy now?

That's amazing!

Excuse me.

Take it easy, Paul.

Ok?

Stop looking at her like that.

Who?

Did you say who?

See? He noticed too.

- Bullshit.
- Oh yeah?

What are you discussing?

Paul. He's fallen in love with you.

It's secret, but...

it's obvious!

Ignore them. They're idiots.

Did you invite somebody?

God, yes! Roland!

- Hi, how are you?
- Come in.

It's Roland.

A friend of mine,

And assistant director based in Rome.

Paul! How are you?

We met on the same movie as Elisabeth.

That's funny.

This is Angele, my beautiful wife.

- Roland.
- Delighted.

Sit down.

Grab a chair.

Are you angry?

Yes.

Spaghetti?

I was right about you two.

Why?

I hitched them up.

Before we married,
I dated a girl from Turin.

At her parent's house, everyone ate
as soon as they were sewed.

Only French hypocrites wait to eat.

Can we start now?

Should we say "bon appetite"?

In Italian, please.

I'll switch hotels tomorrow
if you like.

What fool'?

We're fine here.

You know nothing about women.

Why do you say that?

Because it's true.

Thanks.

Do you like it?

It's beautiful.

I didn't ask that.
I asked if you like it. Don't you?

If you don't, say it.

I like it.

Your expectations make me feel
I?m lying, even when I?m not.

I've always liked whatever you do

Liar!

I'm not lying.

But some paintings soothe me
and others upset me.

And this one upsets you.

Does it upset you?

Any painting that isn't of you
upsets you.

- Here are we going?
- For a drive.

A drive?

I'll show you a great place.

Where the fuck are they?

How's it going?

Good, and you?

Coming?

What's the matter?

What's the matter?

I don't feel well.

I'd rather stay here
do you mind?

- Tell them I?m feeling tired
- Ok.

She's not coming.

Hi.

- Elisabeth.
- A chilly.

Get in front.

Is she sick?

Cheers.

Here's to your sharp eyes, young lady.

It was really great.

Didn't you see it?

No, but still...

he once asked me to paint him
with his wife.

Then they split up.

He couldn't stand being with her,
even in a painting.

So he asked me to cut it up

Into two separate pictures.

I heard he's a far-Right bastard.

It's gossip.

Gossip, my ass!
Jerks, the lot of them.

I believe in god, you know?

You do?

Do you think it's silly?

No.

I'd like to stop by the church.

Would you mind?

No.

I'm happy to keep you company.

Come in.

Pray if you want.

I'll watch you

Sometimes...

sometimes I want to die.

What did you say?

Or stop loving you

But that would be worse
than dying...

my love

So I?d be better off dead

You can't do that to me.

No, I never could

Try and forget Frederic.

The Italians have been resting
ever since the renaissance.

It fascinates me,

The way whole peoples
act like individuals.

Look at the Greeks.

Since Pericles, nothing.

The Egyptians? Same thing.

The French aren't doing so badly.

We've kept up the pace
for a thousand years, haven't we?

But it's a good thing
we've had immigrants to help us.

Always.

Right...

how about paying your share?

I don't have any money.

Are you shitting me?

- Bye.
- Bye.

See you soon.

Bye, a chilly.

Elisabeth's a great girl
don't let her go.

If you let her go, you're a dumb-Ass

Angele!

I love a chilly, but he's two-Faced.

And you're not?

Angele!

My love!

But...

why didn't you answer?

- You ok?
- Yes.

Did you get some rest today?

Not really.

But I had a good day.

Angele wanted to come clean.

She admitted she was seeing Roland.

It was the truth, of course...

but not the whole truth.

Don't!

Sorry.

Right.

Wait.

I want to know exactly
what you've done.

Nothing.

He asked me to go away with him.

And you said that?

Elisabeth was on Angele?s side.

Not because she approved,

But simply because she was a woman.

I think she felt her pain.

And perhaps she feared
that she'd be in the same boat one day.

Will we still be friends?

Of course! Why not?

I don't know.
Do you think badly about me?

No, I don't.

Do as you feel.

Frederic had lots of affairs
when we were together.

I started first, actually.
I told you a lie.

But now I?m in love
and I?m not going to waste it.

Angele left Frederic.

What's the matter?

Are you ok?

I'm great call I you see?

Really great.

I'm on top of the world.

What can I say? Be brave?

I don't know.

Maybe bravery is what I need.

What fool'?

You're right. It would be no use.

I guess...

I need to let time go by.

But how much time, damn it?

That's the question.

How long does this last?

I don't know.

How long do you think it lasts?

I resent it.

That she slept with a guy,

I don't give a shit.

What I hate is that
she did it like a bourgeois,

Like I?m a stick-In-The-Mud.

Like I can't face up to reality.

See what I mean?

That's what's so humiliating.

Cheating is no big deal.

But calling a guy a louse,
just because...

you don't love him anymore...

that's bad.

It's unforgivable.

I'll never forgive her

Never.

Frederic found Angele?s bible

And religiously loosed it out.

Aren't you asleep?

What are you doing?

I'm not interested.

In what?

This kind of relationship.

We're either together or not,
and you're not.

When we first met, I loved you madly

But I?m unhappier now than ever before.

I was with Frederic.

He's in a bad way.

Is that why?
Because I was with him instead of...

he's my friend and he's in a bad state.

You can't blame me.

It's ridiculous! Crazy!

"I've lost the strength, Paul,
to wait for you to look at me.

I've never felt so lonely

What are you doing?
You're out of your mind.

- Stop it.
- Come on!

Forgive me.

Stop it.

Elisabeth and I

Almost broke up when our friends did.

Roland put together the movie
he wanted to make with Angele

It was his debut as director.

Frederic went to the set
to see Angele.

In love, it's every man for himself.

Assassin's mirror,
scene 45/5, take 1!

When you're ready!

Assassin's mirror,
scene 45/5, take 1!

Cut!

Quiet!

I can't act if I?m stared at!

Who's he?

What are you staring at'?

You want me to walk out?
You want to abandon the film?

As for me,
I had found work in Rome,

Playing bit parts at Cinecitte.

Elisabeth and I lived in a hotel.

I'm going to charge her with adultery.

But that's sick!

That's not what's sick.
Don't tell me what's sick.

If she leaves me
and takes half my money,

I don't want that.

Without proof of adultery, I?m stuck.

But you married her.

Yes.

Now I?ve got to divorce her.

But marriage means something.

It's a promise for life.

Even if you split up.

It's a bond that lasts a lifetime.

I wish it did

That's why I married her.
I'm not the one that's leaving

She's leaving me.

That's no reason
to set the cops on her.

You and the cops!

You're so obsessed,
it's almost a joke.

I'm sorry, but...

you're siding with the cops.

You can't do that.

Elisabeth got pregnant.

We have no money.

Isn't it beautiful, though?

You'll do all the childcare.
I don't know how.

And no more suicide attempts, ok?

You can't when you have a child.

It's what I?ve been waiting for.

The fear of the void
I told you about...

it's gone forever, you see?

Paul?

I love you.

We dropped in on Frederic

To pick up a bag and say goodbye,

And went back to Paris.

Lea was born.

I swear!

I swear I was going
to call you yesterday.

How've you been?

I swear it's true.

How are you?

- What's up?
- Nothing.

Hello.

Is it asleep?

I should've had one too.

But I didn't.

- Has your phone number changed?
- No

I'll call you tomorrow. Lunch?

- Love to.
- Promise?

Scout's honor?

See you tomorrow.

Paul!

I'm not making sense.

I can't see you tomorrow.

I have to...

I have to go back to Italy.

See you next week, ok?

She's not with

Roland any more.
She went off with somebody else.

I love you, Paul.

- See you next week
- For sure.

Bye, Elisabeth.

That night, Frederic had a car crash

I went to Salpetriere hospital
to see my friend one last time.

I never told you but

My grandfather was like you

He was...

a communist.

He was rich but...

he was a communist.

It was an easy choice, back then.

It was Hitler 0 Stalin

Why am I telling you this?

That's not it...

I?m going to die, Paul.

Me too, Frederic.

I'm going to die.

Wait...

come here.

I'll tell you something.

Come closer.

Closer.

The car...

I drove it at the tree

And luck. There's luck.

For instance, we were out on patrol

In a wood

Our commander had said
"take prisoners. "

Prisoners, my foot!

We were like on a turkey shoot.

So...

just then, I heard

A burst of German machine gunfire

And moans of pain.

I figured one of our guys

Had been hit.

Iran,

But was stopped short

By a burst of gunfire through a bush,

I tried to shoot back

But my rifle didn't work.

I looked at it. Guess what?

The German bullet had got stuck

In my rile bolt. It had shielded me.

That was lucky!

So the German bullet didn't hit you?

- What?
- The German bullet.

It didn't hit me.
The rile shielded me.

When I dismantled it later,

I found the bullet, crushed.

That's so lucky.

It's incredible!

Our lives depend on
the next to nothing.

Same tiny thing.

I don't have a rile to save me.

I won't escape like you did.

You'll escape. Why wouldn't you?

What?

I said it's better this way

Better, why?

Because I?ve lost my reason to live.

Your reason to live?

Your wife?

She's your reason to live?

My wife.

You'll find others.

There are no others.

I've lost my wife.

It's better if I go.

Of course.

I have to go.

Yes, I see.

I have to go.

"And behold, the curtain
of the temple was torn in two,

"From top to bottom.

"And the earth shook
and the rocks were split.

"The tombs also were opened.

"And many bodies of the saints
who had died were raised.

"Coming out of the tombs
after the resurrection of Jesus,

"They went into the holy city

"And appeared to many.

"When the centurion
and those keeping watch over Jesus

"Saw the earthquake

"And what took place,

"They were filled with awe

"And said,

Truly, this was the son of god. "

The gospel of the lord.

Praise to you, lord Jesus Christ.