Hotel Colonial (1987) - full transcript

Marco Veniera goes to Bogota, Columbia to find his brother, Luca who supposedly committed suicide. In his search, he meets fiery and exotic Irene Costa, who leads him into the depths of the Amazon jungle. But it's every man for himself. And brotherly love turns to hate.

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j Colombia j

j Colombia Colombia Colombia j

j Colombia Colombia Colombia j

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j Colombia Colombia Colombia j

Hello?

Hello, Marco?

It's Francesca.

I'm sorry to wake you.



I know it's early in New York.

That's all right.

What's the matter?

It's Luca.

He's dead!

What?

The police just
called me here in venice.

About half an hour ago.

How did it happen?

He committed suicide!

Marco, please can you go to Colombia?

Can you bring him home?

Bring him home. - Francesca.

Francesca.



Don't worry.

I'll catch the first flight.

Okay.

Thank you, Marco.

Thank you.

Ciao.

Ciao. - Ciao.

Ciao, Marco.

Ciao.

How's m y son?

How's Francesca?

Fine.

Why don't you write her some letters?

Why don't you let her visit you?

Do me a favor.

Don't disagree, okay?

Just leave me alone.

You have your life, I have my life.

So just leave me alone.

Please, don't visit me again.

Please.

Marco.

Marco!

Sit down.

Sorry.

All for what, Luca?

For a moment, Marco.

For a fleeting moment.

To store what we did shook the world,

and nothing, and nobody will forget it.

Nobody.

Quickly recouping the downturn to 2196

posted at the close of business yesterday.

On the international scene,

there's a report from
buenaventura, Colombia

that the notorious terrorist Luca venieri,

one of the leaders of
the Italian red brigade

terrorist organization, was found dead,

the victim of an apparent suicide.

In the 1970s, venieri became
one of the most hunted

terrorists in Europe after being linked

to the violent deaths of numerous civilians

and government officials.

In 1979, he was captured
after a bloody shootout

with the police in bologna, Italy.

He was tried and convicted,
but only served two years

in prison after fingering
other red brigade members

under Italy's amnesty for cooperation laws.

Immediately after being released,

venieri disappeared from view,

and his whereabouts since
that time were unknown.

Venieri was the oldest son of Paul venieri.

The American steel industrialist

could not be reached for comment.

Senor venieri.

Buenos.

I'm Irene costa.

I've been expecting you.

Caught the first plane I could.

I'm sorry about your brother.

Thank you.

We've already started the paperwork

for repatriation of the body,

but you'll have to go to buenaventura

and identify him before they release him.

We have a man there named
Anderson, Mario Anderson.

He is waiting at the hotel estacion.

Kind of a troubleshooter for us.

He should be able to
take care of everything.

Anderson, hotel estacion, buenaventura.

I think I got it.

Just in case, it's all
written down there.

Thank you.

Did you know my brother?

I knew he was here, but I never saw him.

The secret service kept him so hidden

from the moment he arrived.

What did he do?

How did he pass his time?

I don't think he did anything.

I think he had a very hard time here.

I guess he just hid.

I guess.

I finish early today.

Let's have a drink.

Okay.

You know Bogota pretty well.

How long have you been here?

Almost seven years now.

Seven years?

Get back to Italy at all?

I used to go back all the time.

Christmas, easter, all the holidays.

At a certain point I realized
I was better off here.

How come?

It's like one long vacation.

Even though you never stop
feeling like an outsider.

Maybe that's what I like about it.

Anyway, I haven't been back to Italy

in about four years now.

But I don't really miss it.

Were you very close with your brother?

Mm-hm.

We fought all the time.

He always acted on impulse.

He wanted to be the center of attention.

I was the quiet one with a
sense of responsibility.

Now I think I was just
afraid to compete with him.

For what?

I don't know, he...

I respected him.

He always got what he wanted.

Or everything you wanted?

He only got one thing I wanted.

What are you doing?

Nothing, it's nothing.

You just hid a piece of paper.

It's just something I do.

Ever since I was little,

I've been stashing bits of
paper with my name on it.

There must be thousands of
them all over the world.

Is that some kind of a
secret rite or something.

No, silly.

It's the opposite of a souvenir.

I leave something behind me.

Echo.

You can spend the night here.

It's not very expensive, and clean enough.

Well thank you.

I enjoyed my dinner very much.

And the tour, and everything else.

Likewise.

I had a good time.

How do I get to buenaventura?

There's a bus.

Leaves every morning at six.

You get there in two days.

Two days?

Have a good trip.

I see you on your way back through.

Ciao.

Ciao.

Excuse me, that bus is
going to buenaventura?

Slow down!

Italy!

You have a reservation for me.

I'm Marco venieri.

Of course, senor venieri.

Room 301.

You have a message from a senor Anderson.

Senor Anderson.

Ah, venieri.

Welcome to this beautiful town.

This is captain santillana.

He's chief of police around here.

Fine. - And I'm your guardian angel.

Mario Anderson.

Well, it's a pleasure to meet you.

So, how was your trip?

Ever see a shitty place like this?

Water?

No, thank you.

The only thing you'll
find is heat, malaria,

and blacks who fuck like
rabbits and die like flies.

I guess you're not
with the travel bureau.

Oh, come on.

Did you get a whiff of this town?

There are zones where not only the whites

but even the army won't go.

If you see a painted red
line on the ground,

keep your distance.

If you go in, you never know
if you're going to come out.

So, what else can I do for you?

Well... - Senora costa

asked me to be nice to you.

My brother.

Your bro...

Oh yeah, your brother!

He didn't leave anything,
like a letter or a note?

Just his personal effects,
no letter, no note.

Well.

Where is he?

He had a room in the hotel del pacifico,

a flea bag in the off-limits zone.

God knows what he was doing there.

One morning, the maid comes
in and finds him dead,

lying in a pool of blood.

He shot himself in the mouth like this.

Hey, great shoes!

Italian, huh?

It's the only cold place in the city.

It's him?

Yes.

Good.

It's only a formality.

Now you just have to sign some papers

and then we can ship the
body back to Italy.

No.

He chose to die here, he
should be buried here.

I'm the brother of the
Italian who died here.

Can I see his room?

To the left?

Upstairs?

Why are they going away like that?

I guess he found out it was a suicide.

They don't bless suicides.

Well, that's over with.

I envy you.

Why is that?

You'll be out of this
place in a matter of hours.

Lucky me.

Marco!

You were right, the body's
not your brother's.

Who was he?

We don't know yet.

I have a friend with the Bogota
police who did me a favor.

They have your brother's
fingerprints on record.

They're running a check now on
who prints they really were,

assuming whoever it is has
prints with the police.

And the bullet?

They're running a ballistics right now.

I'll call them from the airport.

38 caliber, probably fired

from a beretta 92s with a long barrel.

A monster of a weapon, they told me.

Used by the police and the carabinieri.

Right.

What's going on around here?

First there's a suicide that
turns out to be a murder,

and then the dead man turns
out to be somebody else,

and the weapon that was
used is a police weapon.

And Anderson, who's
supposed to be on our side,

can't wait to stick a cross on that body.

You know, he had me
followed in buenaventura.

Come on, Marco, you're
getting a little carried away.

Am I?

All this seems normal to you?

Don't look for logic around here.

Right.

And you're supposed to be
my Bogota guardian angel.

What was written on those
little pieces of paper?

Who are you with really?

I'm not with anyone.

I helped you, didn't 1?

Now it's getting too complicated.

Attention please.

Last call for a Bianca
departure to Santa marta.

Flight 535a.

Immediate boarding...
Where are you going?

It's not your flight.

What's it matter to you?

They asked me to see
that you get home safely.

That's my job.

Listen.

Before my brother died, or before...

I don't know.

Anyway, there were some
newspapers in his suitcase

that said Santa marta on them.

I'm going there, and you can tell that

to whoever you have to report to.

That's crazy!

You find some old newspapers...
Luca's still alive!

And I'm gonna find out where he is.

And what happened to him.

You Italian?

Yes.

Nice music.

He was Italian too.

You ever seen him before?

Si.

Yes?

Si.

He used to always come here alone.

He would always sit right
where you're sitting.

And, you know, he would drink
some beer and then go away.

When was the last time you saw him?

Along time ago, about four months

or a year ago, something like that.

What did he do?

Where'd he live?

What'd he do for a living?

Oh, I think he came from Santa marta.

He did business.

What kind of business?

The kind everyone does
around here, you know?

Where do they do their business?

Downtown.

Evening, sir.

You want a girl?

Something to smoke?

Sure.

$20.

You want another?

What if I said I wanted 100?

Follow me.

Now we see how lucky you are.

Are you shopping for something?

Yes.

Have you ever seen this man before?

I think you are going to be lucky.

Hey, you, blondie!

How did you end up in a cage, man?

It was a riot.

I didn't do anything.

That's the way it always is, man.

They always get the wrong one.

Look at us.

We all are innocent.

Why did they put you in here?

Trafficos.

Did you ever see a fella, he was Italian?

Black hair and black mustache,
and he did what you do?

Everybody does trafficos here.

Gringos, Brazilians, Peruvians.

They come from all over
the world to do business.

They call him by the name
of a village near here.

Because he always went there.

Nueva venecia.

Si, they call him venecia.

Strange man.

Very silent.

He worked for Ruben dias, the
biggest in the business here.

Ruben dias is a filthy.

A year maybe more ago he disappeared

with a huge shipment of Coca.

He had everybody's money, our money!

He took the money, and he took the Coca.

The Italian was with him.

He had to leave because he disappeared too.

Do you know where he might've gone?

There is only one place for
men like dias and his friends

when there is nowhere else to go.

Las tres frontieras.

Down in the Amazon.

In the leticia.

Where Colombia comes together
with Brazil and Peru.

Bad climate.

Good Coca.

Policia, none!

Much, much money.

And how do I get out of here?

Money.

Welcome please.

Gringo?

Italian.

Welcome to Brazil.

This isn't Colombia?

This is Brazil.

Taxi, taxi, taxi, taxi?

We're in Brazil, right?

Si.

Leticia's in Colombia.

Si.

If I want to go to
leticia, is that possible?

Now we are in Colombia.

Linda.

Linda?

I'm looking for this man, an Italian.

He's supposed to have
been seen around here.

Oh, no, I'm sorry.

No, no, I never serve him.

He hasn't been in this hotel.

No?

They call him venecia.

No.

Perhaps another man, Ruben dias?

Sil

he is famous here.

But I never met him.

I don't know him.

Are there other hotels around here?

Well, in leticia there is only this one

and the hotel colonial on the next street.

It is very fancy.

Then, on the other side of the river,

there is the hotel las tres frontieras,

but I don't know if it is fancy.

I have never been in the
other side of the river.

I'm looking for this man.

He's an Italian.

I think he's traveling with
another man, Ruben dias.

No, this man has never been here.

And Ruben dias?

No, sir, I never heard that name.

I understand Mr. dias
is famous around here.

I cannot tell you anything, sir.

No, sir.

I think it's better that you speak

to the owner of the hotel.

Who might that be?

He's Mr. carrasco, but he's not here now.

Carrasco. - Yes.

When might I see him?

Maybe tomorrow, I don't know.

I see.

J Colombia j

j Colombia j

j Colombia Colombia Colombia j

j Colombia Colombia Colombia j

Where can I find an embargo,
a boat, to cross the river.

When return?

Where can I find?

Werner, a German?

Si, Werner.

Wait.

I am work on my motor.

You're Italian!

I'm Italian.

I'm Italian.

I'm Italian, I am the same.

I'm Italian, I'm Italian.

What am I supposed to do?

No, you are Italian too.

Mama Mia!

I am from Naples.

Look, I got tears in my eyes.

'Cause Italy for me, our
Italy, venice is wonderful.

Italy for me, the sun, the
sea, the sky, beautiful.

Okay?

You want more, or is that enough?

All right, all right, all right.

I'm sorry.

I'm Italian, I'm Italian.

I just got a little carried away.

I was wondering if I could
get a ride across the river.

Okay.

15.

I was thinking more like five.

Oh, no, no, 15.

Is far away.

Okay, 10. - 107?

10.

Sit back. - Okay.

You want some help?

No, no, no, no!

No, please!

No.

This is my boat.

Okay?

I am jealous, I am jealous of my boat.

You sit down.

Sit.

Okay.

Why do they call you Werner?

Sit down, please.

Because my name is Werner.

Why?

Because Werner is a German name.

I know.

During the war...

During the war, a German,
a certain Herbert,

A certain Herbert helped my father

to escape from the concentration camp

the day before his execution.

So in memory of this Herbert,
my father named me Werner.

It seems like they should've
called you Herbert.

Because my mother didn't
like the name Herbert.

And my father was just back from the war,

didn't want another war with my mother.

He must have said Werner, okay, Werner,

as long as it's German.

Hotel is at top of the
street, straight ahead.

Wait here?

Sure.

How come we're going this way?

If we cut straight across,
we could've got to leticia.

Do you want to steer?

What?

Do you want to steer?

No, but I just thought if we
went right across back there,

it would've taken us straight to leticia.

Do you want to steer?

Okay.

No.

Well then let me do it.

The river is swollen.

In this current, you have to head upstream

and them come down on an angle.

Otherwise you end up in Peru.

Okay?

Okay, I was just asking
a question, Werner.

So then you don't ask

now where are we going?

Leticia is just over there.

No.

You ask how come we are going this way,

and then I explain the river is swollen.

In this current you have to head upstream

and then come down on an angle.

Do you understand
what he's saying?

He wants us to drag his canoe.

It can't make it along the longest current.

Werner.

I heard that they were hunting
the Indians around here,

that farmers would hire men

to kill them or poison their water.

That's crazy.

Why doesn't somebody say
something about it?

Sure.

Everyone says, "that's crazy.

"Doesn't anybody say anything about it?"

Why do they want to get off here?

This is the island of the dead.

They go to bury the baby.

They what?

To bury the baby.

Is hard to sleep, is it not,

in this heat, difficult to sleep?

I am Roberto carrasco.

I know you want to speak with me.

Yes.

I was looking for somebody.

An Italian.

I thought you might...

I'm sorry, I don't know him.

Ruben dias?

Ruben dias.

Dias.

Perhaps.

So many people pass through my hotel.

Maybe he's coming back.

Who can tell, who can tell?

Maybe tomorrow, maybe never.

Many people are looking
for him though, but.

An Italian?

I was told that they traveled together.

Tomorrow evening I'm giving
a reception at my hotel.

Why don't you come to be my guest?

Listen.

If we win, you give us 25, okay?

Okay, 25.

Anyway, we won't win.

Okay, if you win,

I give you 10.

Jesus, it's a sure 10.

Okay.

It's a deal.

It's a deal.

Okay, 10.

It's a sure 10.

You play soccer?

Yeah.

I used to play with a local team,

and they call me from Milan

to come play with the professionals.

I couldn't.

You would've played in Milan soccer team?

Yeah, yeah.

I was too young.

My parents wanted me to do my studies,

and I couldn't afford to travel.

Milan soccer team?

My friend.

Marco.

Would've played in Milan soccer team.

I would've loved to play with Milan.

Why don't you come play a game with us?

It's been years since
I've played a full game.

No, no problem.

No problem.

My friend, Marco.

Because we play for fun.

We play for fun.

These kids...

Listen, is this your car?

Yeah. - Can I borrow it?

Yeah, okay.

Thanks.

Sure, why not?

Are the keys in the car?

Yes, yes.

We are friend, no, Marco?

Yes.

We are friend.

When you come back we go, Marco.

We are friend.

Now I bet any team.

Where the heck am 1?

Three, four, five.

10.

10, 10.

Six, seven.

10, I told you 10!

Eight, nine.

Okay, nine.

10, 10.

Shh.

I am sorry, you arrived late.

I lost, but it's for fun.

Werner, I went down to the
river, and I found carrasco.

And he was loading cases of
cocaine onto a seaplane.

Cases?

I don't know.

Maybe, but I don't know.

I am sorry, you arrived late, Marco.

That's okay.

No, I don't worry.

Anyway, we organizing another game.

If you wait a second, I
tell you when, okay?

Oh, that's all right.

I decide with my friend.

No, that's all right.

I can't play anyway.

One second, Marco.

No, I have to go.

I go and come back right away.

Marco.

Marco, one second.

Come back.

Forget about it.

Okay, which hotel are you going?

Which?

Okay.

Go, go.

Any hour I find you, Marco.

Marco!

Marco.

My friend.

Can I have him just a moment?

No!

My friend, Marco.

It is our honor to have him.

I would like to give a special round

of applause.

Mendoza!

You scared me.

You look very beautiful.

And you look like a bum.

What are you doing off by
yourself in a dark corner?

What the hell are you doing here?

Who is mendoza?

None of your business, Marco.

Anyway, I thought you were in
the north, in Santa marta.

I like to travel.

Hey, what's your problem?

Why all this anger?

All I've ever tried to
do is be of help to you.

Are you really trying to help me?

Or are you just toying with me?

I told you when we first met,

don't look for answers in Colombia.

People are usually here
for different reasons

than the ones they give.

Well I'm still interested in your reason.

Marco, I live with mendoza.

We are tourists.

Some of his interests.

We stop here for a couple of
days, then we fly to Brazil.

On business.

Business.

Trafficos.

I know all about it.

How can you love a man like that?

Marco, this is not a place for you.

Get out as soon as you can.

Whatever you're looking for,
you won't find it here.

Thank you, Irene.

I'm sorry if I'm such a worry to you.

Go to hell.

The wild animals you can visit

safely in your zoo are not very friendly

in their natural habitat.

It's not easy to catch these creatures,

especially the ones who are
also trying to catch you,

like the anaconda that's
wrestling with Mr. carrasco.

Who knows which one will win?

Looks like their both
fighting for their lives.

How would you like to be in Mr.
Carrasco's place right now?

And so, the winner takes his reward.

Which one do you like?

Do they interest you?

Not really.

I've been out of school for a long time.

I liked the film with
the anaconda very much.

I did it for the tourists.

It amuses them.

You're a man full of initiatives.

This is a very boring place.

Nothing ever happens here.

You must make it happen.

South America is an imaginary
land waiting to be invented.

So you have to invent it with
one's own fantasy or whatever.

It is a country of the soul

where every outsider is able
to find his or her heaven

or is able to find his or her paradise.

I hope that you too will
end up by having fun.

Oh, I am.

I am having fun.

No, no.

You're not having fun,
amigo, whoever you are.

You are one of those people

who never let themselves go, right?

I know what you are.

You judge things by your
own idea of morality.

You come here, you think you're going to be

the very first white man
in the virgin forest

far from civilization.

Now you take one look around.

All you see is corruption, sin,

and you stand very confused.

But you don't understand anything.

It is here to enjoy, to enjoy
your very own life completely.

Because here there is freedom.

This goddam forest reaches out

for thousands of miles in every direction.

And this is the world's, you
see, the world's asshole.

And nobody cares what we do down here.

Here if you want something you take it,

you answer to no one.

And someone who knew this
place well, some German guy,

once wrote

sin doesn't exist under the equator.

And he was right.

I usually don't like people like you.

But down here is

something different, something
I don't understand.

I don't know.

I don't think there's a place for me here.

No, I don't think we could ever be friends.

Get up.

What?

Get up, it's late.

It's already five.

I have your coffee for you.

Get dressed, we're going hunting.

Hunting?

I don't want to go hunting.

I've never held a gun in my life.

Here, use mine.

Come with me.

You need a taste of where we are.

Stop it!

What are you doing?

Stop it!

Why did you bring me here?

You don't belong here, do you understand?

You have a lot of places you understand.

Get out, go.

Gol

Look at you.

You never knew how to hold your liquor.

I told you you don't belong here.

I knew it was you.

Of course.

I can fool everyone but you.

Everyone.

Luca, why?

What are you doing?

What are you doing?

I've been alone obviously.

I have a new life.

I want to forget the old one.

I want to forget, and I
want to be forgotten.

I have not forgotten you.

You shouldn't have come!

- I have never forgotten you.
- You should not have come.

I don't want to know anything
about you, about mama,

about Francesca, about my son.

Everything is gone.

Even that face is gone.

You had plastic surgery.

So now you found me.

What?

What are you going to do?

Nothing.

Nothing.

I want to go.

I want to get on a plane and go.

I want to go home.

You're dead, Luca.

I found you, and you're dead for me.

I knew you were alive.

I knew you were alive.

I wanted to talk to you.

I just wanted to talk to you.

But I don't want to talk to you anymore.

I don't have anything...

I don't want to talk.

I don't want to talk.

What am I to do with this?

Give it to Francesca.

But

Luca is dead.

She mustn't know.

Okay?

Ciao.

Luca, you killed a man in buenaventura?

No, he was already dead.

Santillana got us the body.

I just went through the motions.

Some poor bastard killed
in an accident, you see.

Adios.

Werner.

Ciao.

How'd the game go?

How did it go?

I lost.

Sorry.

I'm used to it.

Don't be mad at me.

Who said?

Well you're not even looking at me.

When did that happen?

The other day.

They spotted my Jeep
down by the river and...

Why didn't you tell 'em it was me?

I'm sorry.

Oh, thanks, Werner.

Thanks.

Marco, come and play, huh?

Please, Marco.

I lost another game yesterday,
and I pay up always.

I'm leaving.

When?

The game is tomorrow.

In a couple hours.

You found your brother?

No.

I gave up looking for him.

What are you doing here?

What are you doing here?

Why don't you come with me?

You can stay in my house.

I might.

One of this day.

But not now.

Whenever you want to, here's my address.

Okay?

Whenever you feel like it.

I always think about leaving
here sooner or later.

Good.

Okay.

Ciao, Werner.

Ciao, Marco.

J stranger in the nowhere there

j stranger

would you mind if I sit with you?

J living in a cage j

back so soon?

I never left.

And you?

Did you find your brother.

No, you were right.

I'm not gonna find what
I'm looking for here.

Marco.

I still don't know what
I've ever done to you.

When I first got here,

I thought you were the
only decent human being.

But then I thought I felt you
were just like the others.

And I felt very alone.

I wanted to be your friend.

I liked you.

Maybe under other circumstances

things would have been different.

But?

Wrong time.

Wrong place.

Goodbye, Marco.

No, wait.

You didn't come all the way
here just to talk about this.

The dead man, in buenaventura,

he was dias, Ruben dias.

I guess I was jerked around

by more than just a few people.

J you've always been on guard j

I never jerked you around.

No, I guess not.

J I lost you forever j

j walking on your steps j

ciao, Marco.

J to this nowhere j

What the fuck are you doing here, Marco?

What?

Put it down and leave.

J stranger in the nowhere there

j stranger, no one understands j

j living in a cage yeah j

j and dancing forever j

j; Names without a place j

j and places without heart j

J stranger

j but so familiar j

j the hands I've shaken &

j I'll have for so long j

j you call me stranger j!

J I've seen your face before j

j ohohjt

j ohohjt

j ohohjt

j ohohjt

j stranger to your very heart j

j ah stranger j!

J we've always been apart &

j the moment that I met you j

j I lost you forever j

j walking on your steps j

j to this nowhere there &

J stranger

j but so familiar j

j the eyes I'm watching j

j I've seen for so long j