I giochi del diavolo (1981): Season 1, Episode 3 - La presenza perfetta - full transcript
Charlotte.
The newspaper says that
Henry Baudry is in Lucca.
- Henry? He is a friend of mine!
- Don't be a boaster!
Henry Baudry could be your father!
Teddy, do you really know him?
Of course! We are in the same club in
London and play in the same cricket team.
Then let us meet him
Oh yes, Teddy, invite him to dinner tonight.
Right mom?
Tell him I'm a fan of him. I have read
all of his books and I want to know him.
Henry Baudry in Lucca
Of course I'll invite him
Mrs. Marden.
Charlotte.
I go.
He was more or less a man.
A presence that he
made himself noticed
for the importance
of an imposing aspect.
And yet
I secretly felt I pitied him
just for the
perfection with which
he played his part
THE PERFECT PRESENCE
Henry, it's me.
What are you doing? Sleeping?
Come on! Open up.
Henry! Open up!
Henry!
Open up.
Henry!
Henry...
I am the famous
explorer David Livingstone
disappeared in Africa.
And you are the famous
and brave journalist
gone in search of him
a certain Stanley, right?
But why didn't you say
"Doctor Livingston" I suppose
These were not the first words
spoken in that historic meeting of ours
staid compatriot
But .. Henry...
are you ill?
But what do you do
in bed in broad daylight
in the dark, with
all the shutters closed.
No!
I want the dark, I don't need the light.
I know this cabin
as I know your face.
Henry, but why do you act this way?
I do not understand you. You
are in Lucca my friend! In Tuscany!
In the heart of Italy!
The dream of all great writers.
Listen.
I am here as an ambassador.
Well, here it is.
I bring you an invitation
from two English ladies.
Mrs Marden.
And her daughter.
They live here in a beautiful villa
and they want to know you.
My foot!
I am no longer interested in
attending the beautiful world, its rituals
always the same things
under all skies.
And Mrs and Miss Marden.
No.
I do not know them.
Nor do I want to know them.
But how can you write
If you don't care about life?
And life takes place
outside these walls
But what do you know boy?
Right..
What do I know?
Even if I'm younger than you.
I feel like your friend.
And I admire you.
And I'm sorry to see you
let yourself go like this.
You see... tonight's invitation for me
it's just a worldly occasion.
But for you instead
a nice dinner.
by two beautiful women
in a splendid sixteenth-century
villa on the road
from Lucca to Pisa
it could be an adventure
of the imagination.
And your pen
These
he seemed to me a teacher and women
Hunting the wolf and the
lupicini to the mountain
because...
the Pisans
cannot see Lucca.
At this point
the three actors go
towards the veranda.
But the son in taking the hat.
He notices the glove on the ground.
He picks it up and turns
to his mother inquiringly.
Actually, almost with
resentful suspicion.
He asks her
"Whose glove is this, Mom?"
"Has anyone come to see you?"
Who was he?
So
the mother looks at the son
and she replies feigning
deliberate indifference.
No one my dear.
No one in particular.
A man
without importance.
The curtain falls.
Bravo.
Very, very good.
Better than Meg Shirley
on the Old Vic stage.
And you, Baudry.
Don't you tell my daughter anything?
I am amazed.
Charlotte knows
my text by heart.
I read it and reread it by myself
and I saw it and saw it again in the theater.
It is a wonderful piece.
A masterpiece.
And the ending...
so painful.
With that secret that
the mother must keep.
No one helped her
nor uderstood her
Mr. Baudry
I...
I admire you
How well you describe the feeling.
The hidden feeling.
Choked on conventions.
But you don't tell me anything?
I was looking for the words.
Yet it is the words
that a writer should never miss.
Henry.
I suggest you a theme.
Then you will put the words into it.
Do some autobiography.
But what are you thinking of?
Autobiography?
You're crazy.
Oh yes, Mr. Baudry, tell
us a little about yourself.
My admiration deserves
some of your gratitude.
A small prize.
You're right Charlotte.
But it's impossible
even if you wanted to.
You see you believe that
Henry Baudry the author
is sitting here in
front of you right now.
But it is an illusion. I am only his doppelganger
who goes into society
and he takes his place to
allow him to stay at home
to work,
to write.
I am not him.
The writer.
But I am a ghost who
represents him in the world.
I'm not what Teddy
came in for this morning.
But it's a beautiful idea for a short
story. Don't you think Mr. Baudry?
Why don't you write it?
A story?
Yup.
Well.
Charlotte, I believe that you have unintentionally
discovered a little secret of mine.
A secret?
Dear Charlotte, this
writer who doubles himself
is nothing more than
the character of a story
that I would like to write.
But it's brilliant.
Get down to writing it Henry right away
What a fantasy!
Yes, Teddy. Fantasy.
It is the fantasy.
Which makes us
survive everyday life.
It makes us exist beyond
the facade of appearance.
But it can also happen that the
imagination sometimes serves us
to discover, not to invent.
Behind the face.
To the behavior of all of us.
Of pre-existing realities.
Unacknowledged secrets.
Sins of which we are ashamed and precisely because
they are terrible we try to hide them from others.
I'll wait for you in the living room.
Lucca is not only
enchanting within its walls.
You will also have to discover
her surroundings, Baudry.
Villa Torrigiani in Camigliano.
Villa Mansi in Segromigno.
Ripafratta Castle
ancient border between Pisa and Lucca.
And Viareggio, that delightful
fishing village of Versilia.
And now it is starting to
become famous for its beaches.
You certainly know that on its shores
the waves pushed Shirley's body.
Viareggio is a necessary
pilgrimage for a writer.
And you will have to come
back to us during the day too.
We will show you the park.
The pond of the nymphs.
The secular cedar of
Lebanon in front of the villa.
Charlotte's greenhouse
with flowers and plants.
I will definitely come back my lady.
I am fascinated by her daughter.
Charlotte has a grace that touches the heart.
Charlotte... Yes, she is
beautiful very beautiful.
But I think what is most striking
about her is something else
I can't define it.
Something strange.
I see you like Mr. Baudry mom.
And you, Mr. Baudry. Don't you think
my mother is a very beautiful woman?
Beautiful and charming.
And there is something strange about her.
That's what makes it so interesting.
What do you say dear?
If I were weird, Mr. Baudry would be
weird too since we get along so well.
However, remember that there is not
only Mrs. Marden but also Miss Marden.
And if you don't take care of
me a little too, I might get jealous.
Play us something more Charlotte.
Yes mom.
Teddy, let's resume our
concert. Turn the pages to me.
Your daughter is so
young yet she is natural,
spontaneous in the
game of female seduction.
Don't say it.
Please don't say it.
But why.
All girls are always a little
flirtatious. It is part of their charm.
So why are they always punished?
Punished? But what
punishment Mrs. Marden?
Maybe I too was
a flirtatious girl.
Have you been punished?
Baudry
Tell me about that story.
Of that story that you
mentioned to me at the table.
Of that character who doubles himself
He is but a ghost, Mr. Marden.
Yet, thinking about this
tale right now is my lifeline.
In order not to die of boredom.
I was hoping a lot on this trip to Italy.
- Instead...
- Do you believe in ghosts?
Ghosts?
No ma'am but we live in an
age that denies the unreal.
But you, Baudry, do you believe in ghosts?
No.
Or rather, I only
believe in our ghosts.
Those we create ourselves.
With our fears
and our anxieties.
The ones that, when ghosts exist,
have a precise reason to exist.
They persecute us to force us to face
the unsolved problems they represent
As a theory it is fascinating.
But that's just a theory, Baudry.
I would like to meet
my ghost to show you...
To prove me?
Checkmate to the Queen.
I think I am available
for this type of meeting.
What are you talking
so tightly about?
Of ghosts.
Ghosts...
but it's not worth it.
Ghosts don't exist.
Anyway, I'll tell you
a secret, Mr. Baudry.
My mother, who always
complained that she knew so
many people and never
found anyone worth talking to.
I believe that now she will no
longer have reason to do so.
In short, the elective affinities.
Four characters a villa in
the countryside. Like us.
Teddy, what a cultured quote!
Your mother is a very
interesting woman.
She is lucky.
Why lucky?
Because she has a daughter like you.
I'll tell you a secret
too Charlotte.
You remind me of one
of those wonderful women
That my characters always
dream in vain to meet and love.
I hope that the author also
falls in love with her sometime.
In any case, I am not a
character in one of your books.
Mom!
It's nothing, dear.
You should have a
steadier hand, Baudry.
Maybe you sleep little and
write too much these days.
Excuse me Mrs. Marden.
Sometimes my hand doesn't seem
to respond to my orders anymore.
It will certainly be as
you say, it is my tiredness.
Come on Teddy.
I can't continue my concert
without you turning the pages.
I beg your pardon again Mrs. Marden.
My ghost is not literature.
Maybe it's invisible to everyone.
But it has real,
terrible power over me.
In the future you will understand me.
Teddy, you've known the Marden for a long time, haven't you?
For one year. Since I have
been vice consul in Florence.
I met them at some Italian friends'
and then they invited me to
come and see them in Lucca.
So since then I often find an excuse
to spend a few days away from home.
Did Mrs. Marden never
seem a little eccentric to you?
Eccentric?
I don't think so.
She is a beautiful and kind woman. She
receives exquisitely. She converses gracefully.
And she is also Charlotte's mother
Why did you ask
me this question?
No reason.
I was too abrupt with
Mr. Baudry, right Mom?
I realized that you were disappointed.
After all, he wanted to
flatter me by comparing
me to one of the women
his book heroes dream of.
He wanted to tell you
that he loves you
Henry Baudry, who loves me?
But mom what are you saying?
Would you like it, Charlotte?
But what would I know?
I don't know what falling in love is.
Besides, you won't think I can learn
it from Teddy Morgan and other friends
who have been courting me, right?
You are right.
They don't love you.
They play the gallant game.
Love, on the other hand, cannot be deceived.
When someone gives it, he
puts all of himself into the other.
Good night, Charlotte.
Certainly in 1383 when
the work on the upper part
of the southern side of the church
of San Michele were completed
the Gothic influences
could already be felt.
In the upper part, the Czech arches
and strongly projecting columns
entirely in white marble
reveal ways of Lucca.
But above the
loggias worked so...
Women!! The umbrella maker is here!
I repair dishes and umbrellas !!!
Forgive me.
What should I
forgive Mr. Marden?
For blaming you for
the cup that I dropped.
What happened the other night?
Sometimes I'm nervous.
Too nervous.
Yet you get used to everything.
But in London they are.
Get used to what?
I believe you are destined to have experiences
that will make you understand many things.
I don't understand Mrs. Marden.
Still, Charlotte I assure you that in Florence
when the consul and Lady Greenwood went...
(Teddy describes the statue they observe)
Today it's not raining.
it's a beautiful day.
Something must have
changed in you my dear Henry
The windows are all wide open.
The sun invades your refuge.
It's not even there anymore
all that mess.
Now that you've made your observations,
what are you offering me for today?
Why did you put on a tailcoat?
How about some organ music?
No thank you.
You're wrong, Henry.
It seems that the organ of the Gattaiola
church was also appreciated by Handel.
Mrs Mardel
she invites us to pick her up and accompany
her to the concert to be held today.
- Will Charlotte come too?
- Naturally.
Mr. Baudry, come in!
Charlotte, what a beautiful greenhouse! The
flowers and plants your mother told me about
I have come to call you. It's
almost time to go to our concert.
Do you really like it here?
You see. This is my space.
Near home. Inside the house.
However, a corner of my own.
How did you find me?
Nobody knows I come
here when I need to be alone.
Maybe it's a voice inside.
Fate.
Did my mother tell you?
No.
Charlotte I...
There are plants with a very
different destiny than ours.
Growing in the shade
without care or affection.
Then one day, catching us off
guard, they bloom to demand life.
Perhaps precisely because they
were ignored with a wild rage.
Like certain feelings.
That emerge from the depths
But Mr. Baudry are you
always and only a writer?
Oh please. It also happens to a mature and
confident man like me that he doesn't know how...
Charlotte, I want to talk to you.
I want to confess to you.
A great man like you who cares about me.
Maybe you want to write a book about me?
But... it's already four
o'clock we must go.
And you who came to get
me and now you make me late.
An extraordinary execution
- Yet there are those who can be bothered by this music
- Are you referring to you?
- You should do more than just listen...
- Did you like it dear?
Very very much!
Where is Teddy? Teddy!
Don't tell anyone that you saw her
Dear Annie! What beautiful
music we listened to!
- Come. Let's get meet the musician
- Oh yes.
How is your husband doing?
... and therefore, you
can only imagine what I did
Yes thanks
Yes, yes.
All right.
No thank you.
And that was how
my cousin met him
Back then she was not her
aide-de-camp of her majesty yet.
And then they moved to Rome.
- Please excuse me.
- Of course.
My husband had inherited this
villa from an Italian aunt of his
and we used to come and
spend his leave here every year.
This was his studio he
loved this room very much
and the memories
he had gathered there.
Then when George died
in the Indian revolt of 1882
Charlotte and I ended up spending
longer and longer periods here in Lucca
And shorter and shorter in London.
I don't know how to explain it.
That strange suggestion emanates for
me from these memories of distant lands.
Nor what power do I encounter
in the unreal gaze of these idols.
But I find peace it in this place
surrounded by George's memory.
Peace...
Henry tell me... are you
in love with my daughter?
Will you tell me what
this idea suggests?
I don't seem to have been indiscreet.
Didn't you say anything to
Charlotte on our way to the concert?
What makes you
think I said something?
The fact that you
have seen it too.
See who? Mrs. Marden.
Henry, you know very
well who I'm talking about.
You mean that gentleman
who sat next to Charlotte?
Yup.
Him.
Strange individual.
Have you seen it too?
- For me it's different.
- Who is he?
It was inevitable
that you should see it.
Of course, since I'm not blind.
- But why...
- You might as well have been.
And you would have seen it anyway.
I do not understand.
You, Henry.
You talked about your
feelings with Charlotte right?
Did your daughter tell you something?
No.
But have you seen that man?
I still don't understand
you Mrs. Marden.
But Charlotte, no
- I don't think I said anything he could...
- Are you really sure?
Absolutely sure.
And you didn't even have the
desire to tell her something?
Weren't you on the
verge of doing so?
About to do so.
And I would have done it too.
Of course, Charlotte didn't encourage me
And I was seized
with a sudden shyness.
As happens in youth when words
rise to the lips without being uttered.
It doesn't matter what
you say, but what you hear.
He knows it.
Who is he?
I knew you would see it if you
really fell in love with my daughter.
I knew it would be the sign.
Does this privileged condition
involve particular visions?
You see him... you see him...
and you will see him again
I have nothing against it.
But maybe I'll care more about him if you're
kind enough to finally tell me who he is.
Lord Marden.
Tell me. I beg you.
Sir Edmund Orme
And who is Sir Edmund Orme?
Silence.
I am here.
They were all looking for you mom.
What are you two up to?
What is this silence?
What is gotten into you two?
It looks like you've
seen a ghost.
I asked for her hand in marriage.
Does pushing gallantry to this
excess have this effect on you?
And was it granted to you?
His mother was answering me
just as you walked in, Charlotte.
Well I don't understand
why you are so embarrassed.
Anyway, if it's just the
moment, I'll leave you alone.
Do you like Henry, Charlotte?
Admire him as a writer,
does not mean to love him.
Besides, it is quite difficult
to answer in his presence.
Don't you think, mom?
Go, Charlotte.
Go tell our friends
I'll join them shortly.
I wait for you.
But doesn't Charlotte see him?
Only you and I see him.
Now you know what my life is like.
In the name of God, who is he?
What is that?
He is the man I
hurt many years ago.
But don't you understand? Can't you hear? He died.
Died? Then that
gentleman was...
Call it what you want ..
There are ten ways
one more vulgar than
the other to define it.
He is a perfect presence
A perfect presence.
So
I met a perfect presence.
For me it is neither a literary
nor a pleasant experience.
Excuse me Mrs. Marden.
Henry, I'm sure you will make my daughter
happy. But you will have to conquer her
To give Charlotte serenity I
have to know, I have to understand
What you and I see
But how can you if I don't
understand everything either.
I only knew that anyone who
loved my daughter would see him.
A presentiment.
But don't ask me what that
means because I don't know
Now leave me alone please.
Got you!
Got you!
But it's you, you
have to pay the pledge
Hentry you have to
give a kiss to Charles.
Now it's your turn,
Mr. Baudry, blindfold your eyes
A hare and
One.
Two.
Three.
And four pheasants
Plus two that Charlotte caught
for her photograph
Also thanks to Reno.
and also to Pedra! She's
done a lot of racing huh?
Stay still like this.
Stop there Henry
Why Teddy ?? Come, Mr. Baudry
Who knows when I will happen again to
take a photograph with such a famous writer
Good.
Still.
One.
Two.
And three.
Stupendous.
Teddy! Come and take a picture
of us with the game in front of us.
Yes, coming.
Can Charlotte take a
few minutes for me?
- I'd like to talk to you.
- Here? Mr. Baudry?
I would like to talk to you a little. Alone.
Since your mother
has granted me your hand.
What about your mother?
Did you grant yours to me?
I am very much obliged to you.
But I do not want
I think our hands belong to
ourselves, not our mothers.
Don't be so tough.
What is the matter, Charlotte?
What a horrible feeling
it is as if there were someone.
A presence that spied on me
I offer you my love. I love you
I don't want you to answer me.
I just wanted you to know.
It was inevitable.
Leave me, Mr. Baudry. Goodbye.
Yes, Charlotte was very upset.
She is still very young.
And it is difficult to give up
the carefree nature of that age.
But there is not only this.
He was there.
I confess that
until this morning...
... the image of that
perfect presence
for me was a
stimulating adventure.
But not anymore
it is no longer a game.
Sir Edmund Orme really exists.
The boredom that oppressed
me that separated me from
everything and everyone has
disappeared but now I regret it.
And I'm just afraid.
Henry, you are in love with my daughter.
I'm sure
if Charlotte would reciprocate
- It would all end
- Yes. We would get rid of him.
Forever.
But who is Sir Edmund Orme
What does he want?
He wants to make me suffer.
For what I did.
The first time he appeared to
me was about four years ago.
When Charlotte
entered the company.
Then there were
intervals of months.
Then again.
For a week.
Every day thereafter.
That evening I
spilled the coffee.
Orme was there.
He wants to punish
me through my daughter
But why.
I was very cruel.
Orme had all the good qualities
that are required of a husband.
But I fell in love
with a colonel.
Simply
in love.
When I met George
I understood that I
could not marry another.
I wasn't in love with him
To me he was just a dear friend.
But he was in love with me
I didn't know to what extent.
I told him I didn't love him
That I couldn't.
That I could never love him.
And he killed himself in front of my eyes.
Charlotte, I've come
to take leave of you.
It is not pleasant.
nor discreet to remain
as a rejected suitor.
And I'm sure this decision
corresponds to your wish.
You think you always know
everything, do you, Mr. Baudry?
Maybe even what are
my most secret desires.
Do I have to be friendly or sincere?
This greenhouse is
not a social living room.
Here it is you who establish
behaviors and attitudes.
Mom is tied to you
by a deep interest.
And at first this pleased me.
But now it worries me
indeed it anguishes me.
It is as if there is a secret deal between
the three of you. A great mystery.
Which even if I could I
would prefer not to know.
I love carefree
happiness and serenity.
And you are the negation of it all.
You say you love me.
But since I've known you my
life has become a nightmare.
I want a man who makes me happy.
I want to live.
Charlotte...
If you really want
to know, Mr. Baudry.
I hate you.
Henry
Henry, you are leaving us, aren't you?
If I remained lady
I would continue to suffer from the
indifference that Charlotte reserves for me.
And then, inevitably Sir Edmund
Orme would intervene and punish her.
Because this is the
purpose of her existence.
Prevent that daughter of hers.
bring to a man
the same pain that led
him to choose death.
I'm leaving this house
for Charlotte's sake
To prevent my suffering from
condemning the woman I love.
Henry, what about me?
And me?
No Mrs. Marden I
will not leave you.
Mine is not an escape.
I am a man in love.
In love with life in
love with your daughter.
And now I also know
than to win the
love of Charlotte.
I will have to face the
specter of Sir Edmund Orme.
Do not abandon us completely.
Come, too, Mr. Baudry.
Who knows when it will happen to me again
to take a picture with such a famous writer.
The bitterness of loneliness
comes back to tempt me
My adoration
which no longer dares to
express himself in words.
In gestures...
and now my renunciation of Charlotte.
For more than a month.
Sir Edmund Orme no
longer appears to me.
So he is the extraordinary
event I was looking for
and that Mrs Marden
brought me to meet,
she decided for me.
The bitterness of loneliness
and she returns to tempt me.
But I love Charlotte
I have to go back to
meet Sir Edmund Orme
I hate the solutions that are
glimpsed, but which remain obscure.
Henry Baudry didn't leave
me but he became so discreet.
Shy.
That I can attract him or
make me unnoticeable with a look.
A phrase.
It is my game.
No it is not true.
Henry who continues with his secluded and
silent presence to tell me that he loves me.
It is a fascinating and
mysterious offer that disturbs me.
Maybe that's why I
continue my game with him.
To defend myself.
Return to belong only to myself.
Like before.
No.
it happened like that day.
As children.
In which with sadness we realize
that childhood games no longer attract us.
Then other things
come as a rush in life.
Then Henry came
Now there is Henry in my life.
And without him
only uncertainty.
The adventurous lack of
security I wasn't born for.
I ask you to listen
to me once again.
My feelings for you
have not changed.
If anything they are
more intense and safer.
I can hope that something has
changed for you towards me.
Henry...
Charlotte told me everything
Have you talked to her again?
You still love it
You are true lady...
I could not resist.
I love her
Charlotte, will you give him an answer now?
Henry...
Charlotte is so peaceful and happy.
Henry, I wish you all the best.
Thank you.
What's happening to you? You are
finally a living man. You know love.
A living man?
Just what scares me.
I'm afraid I don't
know what that means.
Once a friend of mine...
Sir Edmund Orme
he died for love
for too much love.
And I'm somehow
the opposite of him.
For too little love
I don't know life.
I am not alive.
I see things, people, I study
them. I understand them.
But I don't love them...
I only know them and
after having known them...
I am bored
I'm afraid... like
some dead are not just
really dead some
living aren't really alive.
Hope Charlotte marrying me
wouldn't marry a ghost.
* Subtitles by BLUEAM *
The newspaper says that
Henry Baudry is in Lucca.
- Henry? He is a friend of mine!
- Don't be a boaster!
Henry Baudry could be your father!
Teddy, do you really know him?
Of course! We are in the same club in
London and play in the same cricket team.
Then let us meet him
Oh yes, Teddy, invite him to dinner tonight.
Right mom?
Tell him I'm a fan of him. I have read
all of his books and I want to know him.
Henry Baudry in Lucca
Of course I'll invite him
Mrs. Marden.
Charlotte.
I go.
He was more or less a man.
A presence that he
made himself noticed
for the importance
of an imposing aspect.
And yet
I secretly felt I pitied him
just for the
perfection with which
he played his part
THE PERFECT PRESENCE
Henry, it's me.
What are you doing? Sleeping?
Come on! Open up.
Henry! Open up!
Henry!
Open up.
Henry!
Henry...
I am the famous
explorer David Livingstone
disappeared in Africa.
And you are the famous
and brave journalist
gone in search of him
a certain Stanley, right?
But why didn't you say
"Doctor Livingston" I suppose
These were not the first words
spoken in that historic meeting of ours
staid compatriot
But .. Henry...
are you ill?
But what do you do
in bed in broad daylight
in the dark, with
all the shutters closed.
No!
I want the dark, I don't need the light.
I know this cabin
as I know your face.
Henry, but why do you act this way?
I do not understand you. You
are in Lucca my friend! In Tuscany!
In the heart of Italy!
The dream of all great writers.
Listen.
I am here as an ambassador.
Well, here it is.
I bring you an invitation
from two English ladies.
Mrs Marden.
And her daughter.
They live here in a beautiful villa
and they want to know you.
My foot!
I am no longer interested in
attending the beautiful world, its rituals
always the same things
under all skies.
And Mrs and Miss Marden.
No.
I do not know them.
Nor do I want to know them.
But how can you write
If you don't care about life?
And life takes place
outside these walls
But what do you know boy?
Right..
What do I know?
Even if I'm younger than you.
I feel like your friend.
And I admire you.
And I'm sorry to see you
let yourself go like this.
You see... tonight's invitation for me
it's just a worldly occasion.
But for you instead
a nice dinner.
by two beautiful women
in a splendid sixteenth-century
villa on the road
from Lucca to Pisa
it could be an adventure
of the imagination.
And your pen
These
he seemed to me a teacher and women
Hunting the wolf and the
lupicini to the mountain
because...
the Pisans
cannot see Lucca.
At this point
the three actors go
towards the veranda.
But the son in taking the hat.
He notices the glove on the ground.
He picks it up and turns
to his mother inquiringly.
Actually, almost with
resentful suspicion.
He asks her
"Whose glove is this, Mom?"
"Has anyone come to see you?"
Who was he?
So
the mother looks at the son
and she replies feigning
deliberate indifference.
No one my dear.
No one in particular.
A man
without importance.
The curtain falls.
Bravo.
Very, very good.
Better than Meg Shirley
on the Old Vic stage.
And you, Baudry.
Don't you tell my daughter anything?
I am amazed.
Charlotte knows
my text by heart.
I read it and reread it by myself
and I saw it and saw it again in the theater.
It is a wonderful piece.
A masterpiece.
And the ending...
so painful.
With that secret that
the mother must keep.
No one helped her
nor uderstood her
Mr. Baudry
I...
I admire you
How well you describe the feeling.
The hidden feeling.
Choked on conventions.
But you don't tell me anything?
I was looking for the words.
Yet it is the words
that a writer should never miss.
Henry.
I suggest you a theme.
Then you will put the words into it.
Do some autobiography.
But what are you thinking of?
Autobiography?
You're crazy.
Oh yes, Mr. Baudry, tell
us a little about yourself.
My admiration deserves
some of your gratitude.
A small prize.
You're right Charlotte.
But it's impossible
even if you wanted to.
You see you believe that
Henry Baudry the author
is sitting here in
front of you right now.
But it is an illusion. I am only his doppelganger
who goes into society
and he takes his place to
allow him to stay at home
to work,
to write.
I am not him.
The writer.
But I am a ghost who
represents him in the world.
I'm not what Teddy
came in for this morning.
But it's a beautiful idea for a short
story. Don't you think Mr. Baudry?
Why don't you write it?
A story?
Yup.
Well.
Charlotte, I believe that you have unintentionally
discovered a little secret of mine.
A secret?
Dear Charlotte, this
writer who doubles himself
is nothing more than
the character of a story
that I would like to write.
But it's brilliant.
Get down to writing it Henry right away
What a fantasy!
Yes, Teddy. Fantasy.
It is the fantasy.
Which makes us
survive everyday life.
It makes us exist beyond
the facade of appearance.
But it can also happen that the
imagination sometimes serves us
to discover, not to invent.
Behind the face.
To the behavior of all of us.
Of pre-existing realities.
Unacknowledged secrets.
Sins of which we are ashamed and precisely because
they are terrible we try to hide them from others.
I'll wait for you in the living room.
Lucca is not only
enchanting within its walls.
You will also have to discover
her surroundings, Baudry.
Villa Torrigiani in Camigliano.
Villa Mansi in Segromigno.
Ripafratta Castle
ancient border between Pisa and Lucca.
And Viareggio, that delightful
fishing village of Versilia.
And now it is starting to
become famous for its beaches.
You certainly know that on its shores
the waves pushed Shirley's body.
Viareggio is a necessary
pilgrimage for a writer.
And you will have to come
back to us during the day too.
We will show you the park.
The pond of the nymphs.
The secular cedar of
Lebanon in front of the villa.
Charlotte's greenhouse
with flowers and plants.
I will definitely come back my lady.
I am fascinated by her daughter.
Charlotte has a grace that touches the heart.
Charlotte... Yes, she is
beautiful very beautiful.
But I think what is most striking
about her is something else
I can't define it.
Something strange.
I see you like Mr. Baudry mom.
And you, Mr. Baudry. Don't you think
my mother is a very beautiful woman?
Beautiful and charming.
And there is something strange about her.
That's what makes it so interesting.
What do you say dear?
If I were weird, Mr. Baudry would be
weird too since we get along so well.
However, remember that there is not
only Mrs. Marden but also Miss Marden.
And if you don't take care of
me a little too, I might get jealous.
Play us something more Charlotte.
Yes mom.
Teddy, let's resume our
concert. Turn the pages to me.
Your daughter is so
young yet she is natural,
spontaneous in the
game of female seduction.
Don't say it.
Please don't say it.
But why.
All girls are always a little
flirtatious. It is part of their charm.
So why are they always punished?
Punished? But what
punishment Mrs. Marden?
Maybe I too was
a flirtatious girl.
Have you been punished?
Baudry
Tell me about that story.
Of that story that you
mentioned to me at the table.
Of that character who doubles himself
He is but a ghost, Mr. Marden.
Yet, thinking about this
tale right now is my lifeline.
In order not to die of boredom.
I was hoping a lot on this trip to Italy.
- Instead...
- Do you believe in ghosts?
Ghosts?
No ma'am but we live in an
age that denies the unreal.
But you, Baudry, do you believe in ghosts?
No.
Or rather, I only
believe in our ghosts.
Those we create ourselves.
With our fears
and our anxieties.
The ones that, when ghosts exist,
have a precise reason to exist.
They persecute us to force us to face
the unsolved problems they represent
As a theory it is fascinating.
But that's just a theory, Baudry.
I would like to meet
my ghost to show you...
To prove me?
Checkmate to the Queen.
I think I am available
for this type of meeting.
What are you talking
so tightly about?
Of ghosts.
Ghosts...
but it's not worth it.
Ghosts don't exist.
Anyway, I'll tell you
a secret, Mr. Baudry.
My mother, who always
complained that she knew so
many people and never
found anyone worth talking to.
I believe that now she will no
longer have reason to do so.
In short, the elective affinities.
Four characters a villa in
the countryside. Like us.
Teddy, what a cultured quote!
Your mother is a very
interesting woman.
She is lucky.
Why lucky?
Because she has a daughter like you.
I'll tell you a secret
too Charlotte.
You remind me of one
of those wonderful women
That my characters always
dream in vain to meet and love.
I hope that the author also
falls in love with her sometime.
In any case, I am not a
character in one of your books.
Mom!
It's nothing, dear.
You should have a
steadier hand, Baudry.
Maybe you sleep little and
write too much these days.
Excuse me Mrs. Marden.
Sometimes my hand doesn't seem
to respond to my orders anymore.
It will certainly be as
you say, it is my tiredness.
Come on Teddy.
I can't continue my concert
without you turning the pages.
I beg your pardon again Mrs. Marden.
My ghost is not literature.
Maybe it's invisible to everyone.
But it has real,
terrible power over me.
In the future you will understand me.
Teddy, you've known the Marden for a long time, haven't you?
For one year. Since I have
been vice consul in Florence.
I met them at some Italian friends'
and then they invited me to
come and see them in Lucca.
So since then I often find an excuse
to spend a few days away from home.
Did Mrs. Marden never
seem a little eccentric to you?
Eccentric?
I don't think so.
She is a beautiful and kind woman. She
receives exquisitely. She converses gracefully.
And she is also Charlotte's mother
Why did you ask
me this question?
No reason.
I was too abrupt with
Mr. Baudry, right Mom?
I realized that you were disappointed.
After all, he wanted to
flatter me by comparing
me to one of the women
his book heroes dream of.
He wanted to tell you
that he loves you
Henry Baudry, who loves me?
But mom what are you saying?
Would you like it, Charlotte?
But what would I know?
I don't know what falling in love is.
Besides, you won't think I can learn
it from Teddy Morgan and other friends
who have been courting me, right?
You are right.
They don't love you.
They play the gallant game.
Love, on the other hand, cannot be deceived.
When someone gives it, he
puts all of himself into the other.
Good night, Charlotte.
Certainly in 1383 when
the work on the upper part
of the southern side of the church
of San Michele were completed
the Gothic influences
could already be felt.
In the upper part, the Czech arches
and strongly projecting columns
entirely in white marble
reveal ways of Lucca.
But above the
loggias worked so...
Women!! The umbrella maker is here!
I repair dishes and umbrellas !!!
Forgive me.
What should I
forgive Mr. Marden?
For blaming you for
the cup that I dropped.
What happened the other night?
Sometimes I'm nervous.
Too nervous.
Yet you get used to everything.
But in London they are.
Get used to what?
I believe you are destined to have experiences
that will make you understand many things.
I don't understand Mrs. Marden.
Still, Charlotte I assure you that in Florence
when the consul and Lady Greenwood went...
(Teddy describes the statue they observe)
Today it's not raining.
it's a beautiful day.
Something must have
changed in you my dear Henry
The windows are all wide open.
The sun invades your refuge.
It's not even there anymore
all that mess.
Now that you've made your observations,
what are you offering me for today?
Why did you put on a tailcoat?
How about some organ music?
No thank you.
You're wrong, Henry.
It seems that the organ of the Gattaiola
church was also appreciated by Handel.
Mrs Mardel
she invites us to pick her up and accompany
her to the concert to be held today.
- Will Charlotte come too?
- Naturally.
Mr. Baudry, come in!
Charlotte, what a beautiful greenhouse! The
flowers and plants your mother told me about
I have come to call you. It's
almost time to go to our concert.
Do you really like it here?
You see. This is my space.
Near home. Inside the house.
However, a corner of my own.
How did you find me?
Nobody knows I come
here when I need to be alone.
Maybe it's a voice inside.
Fate.
Did my mother tell you?
No.
Charlotte I...
There are plants with a very
different destiny than ours.
Growing in the shade
without care or affection.
Then one day, catching us off
guard, they bloom to demand life.
Perhaps precisely because they
were ignored with a wild rage.
Like certain feelings.
That emerge from the depths
But Mr. Baudry are you
always and only a writer?
Oh please. It also happens to a mature and
confident man like me that he doesn't know how...
Charlotte, I want to talk to you.
I want to confess to you.
A great man like you who cares about me.
Maybe you want to write a book about me?
But... it's already four
o'clock we must go.
And you who came to get
me and now you make me late.
An extraordinary execution
- Yet there are those who can be bothered by this music
- Are you referring to you?
- You should do more than just listen...
- Did you like it dear?
Very very much!
Where is Teddy? Teddy!
Don't tell anyone that you saw her
Dear Annie! What beautiful
music we listened to!
- Come. Let's get meet the musician
- Oh yes.
How is your husband doing?
... and therefore, you
can only imagine what I did
Yes thanks
Yes, yes.
All right.
No thank you.
And that was how
my cousin met him
Back then she was not her
aide-de-camp of her majesty yet.
And then they moved to Rome.
- Please excuse me.
- Of course.
My husband had inherited this
villa from an Italian aunt of his
and we used to come and
spend his leave here every year.
This was his studio he
loved this room very much
and the memories
he had gathered there.
Then when George died
in the Indian revolt of 1882
Charlotte and I ended up spending
longer and longer periods here in Lucca
And shorter and shorter in London.
I don't know how to explain it.
That strange suggestion emanates for
me from these memories of distant lands.
Nor what power do I encounter
in the unreal gaze of these idols.
But I find peace it in this place
surrounded by George's memory.
Peace...
Henry tell me... are you
in love with my daughter?
Will you tell me what
this idea suggests?
I don't seem to have been indiscreet.
Didn't you say anything to
Charlotte on our way to the concert?
What makes you
think I said something?
The fact that you
have seen it too.
See who? Mrs. Marden.
Henry, you know very
well who I'm talking about.
You mean that gentleman
who sat next to Charlotte?
Yup.
Him.
Strange individual.
Have you seen it too?
- For me it's different.
- Who is he?
It was inevitable
that you should see it.
Of course, since I'm not blind.
- But why...
- You might as well have been.
And you would have seen it anyway.
I do not understand.
You, Henry.
You talked about your
feelings with Charlotte right?
Did your daughter tell you something?
No.
But have you seen that man?
I still don't understand
you Mrs. Marden.
But Charlotte, no
- I don't think I said anything he could...
- Are you really sure?
Absolutely sure.
And you didn't even have the
desire to tell her something?
Weren't you on the
verge of doing so?
About to do so.
And I would have done it too.
Of course, Charlotte didn't encourage me
And I was seized
with a sudden shyness.
As happens in youth when words
rise to the lips without being uttered.
It doesn't matter what
you say, but what you hear.
He knows it.
Who is he?
I knew you would see it if you
really fell in love with my daughter.
I knew it would be the sign.
Does this privileged condition
involve particular visions?
You see him... you see him...
and you will see him again
I have nothing against it.
But maybe I'll care more about him if you're
kind enough to finally tell me who he is.
Lord Marden.
Tell me. I beg you.
Sir Edmund Orme
And who is Sir Edmund Orme?
Silence.
I am here.
They were all looking for you mom.
What are you two up to?
What is this silence?
What is gotten into you two?
It looks like you've
seen a ghost.
I asked for her hand in marriage.
Does pushing gallantry to this
excess have this effect on you?
And was it granted to you?
His mother was answering me
just as you walked in, Charlotte.
Well I don't understand
why you are so embarrassed.
Anyway, if it's just the
moment, I'll leave you alone.
Do you like Henry, Charlotte?
Admire him as a writer,
does not mean to love him.
Besides, it is quite difficult
to answer in his presence.
Don't you think, mom?
Go, Charlotte.
Go tell our friends
I'll join them shortly.
I wait for you.
But doesn't Charlotte see him?
Only you and I see him.
Now you know what my life is like.
In the name of God, who is he?
What is that?
He is the man I
hurt many years ago.
But don't you understand? Can't you hear? He died.
Died? Then that
gentleman was...
Call it what you want ..
There are ten ways
one more vulgar than
the other to define it.
He is a perfect presence
A perfect presence.
So
I met a perfect presence.
For me it is neither a literary
nor a pleasant experience.
Excuse me Mrs. Marden.
Henry, I'm sure you will make my daughter
happy. But you will have to conquer her
To give Charlotte serenity I
have to know, I have to understand
What you and I see
But how can you if I don't
understand everything either.
I only knew that anyone who
loved my daughter would see him.
A presentiment.
But don't ask me what that
means because I don't know
Now leave me alone please.
Got you!
Got you!
But it's you, you
have to pay the pledge
Hentry you have to
give a kiss to Charles.
Now it's your turn,
Mr. Baudry, blindfold your eyes
A hare and
One.
Two.
Three.
And four pheasants
Plus two that Charlotte caught
for her photograph
Also thanks to Reno.
and also to Pedra! She's
done a lot of racing huh?
Stay still like this.
Stop there Henry
Why Teddy ?? Come, Mr. Baudry
Who knows when I will happen again to
take a photograph with such a famous writer
Good.
Still.
One.
Two.
And three.
Stupendous.
Teddy! Come and take a picture
of us with the game in front of us.
Yes, coming.
Can Charlotte take a
few minutes for me?
- I'd like to talk to you.
- Here? Mr. Baudry?
I would like to talk to you a little. Alone.
Since your mother
has granted me your hand.
What about your mother?
Did you grant yours to me?
I am very much obliged to you.
But I do not want
I think our hands belong to
ourselves, not our mothers.
Don't be so tough.
What is the matter, Charlotte?
What a horrible feeling
it is as if there were someone.
A presence that spied on me
I offer you my love. I love you
I don't want you to answer me.
I just wanted you to know.
It was inevitable.
Leave me, Mr. Baudry. Goodbye.
Yes, Charlotte was very upset.
She is still very young.
And it is difficult to give up
the carefree nature of that age.
But there is not only this.
He was there.
I confess that
until this morning...
... the image of that
perfect presence
for me was a
stimulating adventure.
But not anymore
it is no longer a game.
Sir Edmund Orme really exists.
The boredom that oppressed
me that separated me from
everything and everyone has
disappeared but now I regret it.
And I'm just afraid.
Henry, you are in love with my daughter.
I'm sure
if Charlotte would reciprocate
- It would all end
- Yes. We would get rid of him.
Forever.
But who is Sir Edmund Orme
What does he want?
He wants to make me suffer.
For what I did.
The first time he appeared to
me was about four years ago.
When Charlotte
entered the company.
Then there were
intervals of months.
Then again.
For a week.
Every day thereafter.
That evening I
spilled the coffee.
Orme was there.
He wants to punish
me through my daughter
But why.
I was very cruel.
Orme had all the good qualities
that are required of a husband.
But I fell in love
with a colonel.
Simply
in love.
When I met George
I understood that I
could not marry another.
I wasn't in love with him
To me he was just a dear friend.
But he was in love with me
I didn't know to what extent.
I told him I didn't love him
That I couldn't.
That I could never love him.
And he killed himself in front of my eyes.
Charlotte, I've come
to take leave of you.
It is not pleasant.
nor discreet to remain
as a rejected suitor.
And I'm sure this decision
corresponds to your wish.
You think you always know
everything, do you, Mr. Baudry?
Maybe even what are
my most secret desires.
Do I have to be friendly or sincere?
This greenhouse is
not a social living room.
Here it is you who establish
behaviors and attitudes.
Mom is tied to you
by a deep interest.
And at first this pleased me.
But now it worries me
indeed it anguishes me.
It is as if there is a secret deal between
the three of you. A great mystery.
Which even if I could I
would prefer not to know.
I love carefree
happiness and serenity.
And you are the negation of it all.
You say you love me.
But since I've known you my
life has become a nightmare.
I want a man who makes me happy.
I want to live.
Charlotte...
If you really want
to know, Mr. Baudry.
I hate you.
Henry
Henry, you are leaving us, aren't you?
If I remained lady
I would continue to suffer from the
indifference that Charlotte reserves for me.
And then, inevitably Sir Edmund
Orme would intervene and punish her.
Because this is the
purpose of her existence.
Prevent that daughter of hers.
bring to a man
the same pain that led
him to choose death.
I'm leaving this house
for Charlotte's sake
To prevent my suffering from
condemning the woman I love.
Henry, what about me?
And me?
No Mrs. Marden I
will not leave you.
Mine is not an escape.
I am a man in love.
In love with life in
love with your daughter.
And now I also know
than to win the
love of Charlotte.
I will have to face the
specter of Sir Edmund Orme.
Do not abandon us completely.
Come, too, Mr. Baudry.
Who knows when it will happen to me again
to take a picture with such a famous writer.
The bitterness of loneliness
comes back to tempt me
My adoration
which no longer dares to
express himself in words.
In gestures...
and now my renunciation of Charlotte.
For more than a month.
Sir Edmund Orme no
longer appears to me.
So he is the extraordinary
event I was looking for
and that Mrs Marden
brought me to meet,
she decided for me.
The bitterness of loneliness
and she returns to tempt me.
But I love Charlotte
I have to go back to
meet Sir Edmund Orme
I hate the solutions that are
glimpsed, but which remain obscure.
Henry Baudry didn't leave
me but he became so discreet.
Shy.
That I can attract him or
make me unnoticeable with a look.
A phrase.
It is my game.
No it is not true.
Henry who continues with his secluded and
silent presence to tell me that he loves me.
It is a fascinating and
mysterious offer that disturbs me.
Maybe that's why I
continue my game with him.
To defend myself.
Return to belong only to myself.
Like before.
No.
it happened like that day.
As children.
In which with sadness we realize
that childhood games no longer attract us.
Then other things
come as a rush in life.
Then Henry came
Now there is Henry in my life.
And without him
only uncertainty.
The adventurous lack of
security I wasn't born for.
I ask you to listen
to me once again.
My feelings for you
have not changed.
If anything they are
more intense and safer.
I can hope that something has
changed for you towards me.
Henry...
Charlotte told me everything
Have you talked to her again?
You still love it
You are true lady...
I could not resist.
I love her
Charlotte, will you give him an answer now?
Henry...
Charlotte is so peaceful and happy.
Henry, I wish you all the best.
Thank you.
What's happening to you? You are
finally a living man. You know love.
A living man?
Just what scares me.
I'm afraid I don't
know what that means.
Once a friend of mine...
Sir Edmund Orme
he died for love
for too much love.
And I'm somehow
the opposite of him.
For too little love
I don't know life.
I am not alive.
I see things, people, I study
them. I understand them.
But I don't love them...
I only know them and
after having known them...
I am bored
I'm afraid... like
some dead are not just
really dead some
living aren't really alive.
Hope Charlotte marrying me
wouldn't marry a ghost.
* Subtitles by BLUEAM *