Barbarossa Page #4

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Some time ago.

You're the son of the blacksmith.

How dare you?

You will die for this.

You know that.

I am not afraid.

There are hundreds of young

men out there in the city

ready to do what

I've not accomplished.

In a matter of days,

your city will cease to exist,

and many other men will be dead.

I remember you.

I've thought about you many times

since you saved my life

and became part of my destiny.

I should call the guards now.

[HOOF BEATS CONTINUE]

But I won't.

I'll let you go.

Your days are numbered, old king.

Damn you.

Alberto. Alberto!

Father.

Where are your daughters?

I can't say.

Eleonora made me swear not to

tell anyone where she was going.

Especially not you, Alberto.

[MAN SHOUTING]:
The Germans are here!

The Germans are here!

Who opened the gate?

[PEOPLE SCREAMING, SHOUTING]

Stop!

[SHOUTING CONTINUES]

[SOLDIER]:
Out of the way!

Master Guitelmo!

Stop! Too much blood

has already been spilled!

Master Guitelmo!

I've been to your house.

Tessa wasn't there.

Oh, you watch out, Siniscalco Barozzi.

[SPITS]

Even the blackest of dogs

gets lit by a torch.

This dog has teeth.

Take these peasants away.

Huh?

[LAUGHING]

Take them away!

[GRUNTING] Hold him!

I will kill you!

I will kill you, Barozzi,

if it's the last thing I do!

[MOOING]

[BELLS CLANGING]

[HORSE WHINNIES]

Milan has fallen,

and Milan is the gateway to Sicily.

Not much time will pass

before the empire that was

of Charlemagne will be yours.

[BELL CLANGING]

[BELLOWS]

[FANFARE]

[MUTTERING]

[BARBAROSSA]:
This is what happens

to those who rebel

against their emperor.

I order Milan to be

razed to the ground.

None of its towers

will ever be standing.

I also order all the Milanese

to leave the city before sunset

in all different directions

so that no one will be

able to call themselves Milanese

and the name Milan will

be deleted from all maps.

[CHURCH BELLS PEALING]

No.

Wherever you will go,

I will be by your side.

[FRENCH]

You see? The svevo

has a dagger by his side.

An armed emperor at a crowning.

Unheard of.

Why on earth not?

A dagger and a crown, if used wisely,

can take one very far.

All the more so if the pope

who crowns Barbarossa

is the one that he himself has chosen.

[CHUCKLES]

[MAN]:
Barbarossa!

[CROWD CHANTING]: Barbarossa!

Barbarossa! Barbarossa!

We will revive the old glory of Rome.

Rome is at your feet, my lord,

as soon will be the south of Italy,

the Norman Kingdom.

[CHANTING CONTINUES]

Barbarossa! Barbarossa!

- Guard! Stop!

- Yes, Your Majesty?

A man collapsed back there.

Go and see why.

It's the plague, Your Majesty.

- Oh, my God. Let's go.

- Come. Escort the queen.

[CLAMORING, SHOUTING]

- Move! Out of the way!

- Out of the way!

Let the emperor through!

[HORSE WHINNIES]

Greetings.

[GUITELMO]:
In the name of God, Lorenzo,

look what we have come to.

We are forced to meet in

hiding as we are outlaws,

and with our people starving

and having to bear the arrogance

of the imperial guards day after day!

Yes. And they've increased the

taxes on the harvest, again.

We must do something!

[HORSE WHINNYING]

[ALL SHOUTING]

[MAN]:
Quiet. Quiet!

Silence.

There is no point arguing

amongst ourselves.

- What's happening?

- It's a secret meeting.

I see all the nobles from Milan.

We have been starved,

forced to leave Milan

in six different directions.

Who's there?

There's Negro and Dell'Orto.

Barbarossa has taken away

everything from us:

Our homes,

our work,

and also our pride and our dignity.

That's why we must react.

We must rebuild the city.

- Right.

- Rebuild the city?

Rebuild the city with whom, Gherardo?

All around me I see tired, resigned faces

who don't want to fight anymore.

And Barbarossa is growing

stronger every day.

Now he's the Lord of Milan.

[MAN]:
He's right!

He's the lord!

[BANGING] Barbarossa is the lord

because the people of Lombard

have accepted the role of servants.

- Get back! Get back, I said!

- Put down your swords! He's one of us.

We can defeat him...

if we stay united.

Listen.

Listen to me.

I can still see

the towers of Milan crumble...

and the looks on our people as they were

forced to abandon their homes like dogs.

Yet, I can feel the anger and the dismay

in Barbarossa's allies.

Lombards, like us,

who fought against Milan

and yet regretted its fate.

Because they finally understood

that it was our quarrels

and rivalries that allowed the emperor

to win and enslave us all.

Milan would have been destroyed

even if the other cities...

That is not true!

It is true!

Think about the strength

our swords would have united!

Think about the force

our swords can have united.

You're noble people.

Do the noble thing. Do it.

This time I'm going

to jump with you, Alberto.

Whatever you may have in mind.

Lorenzo.

This meeting is over.

Come! Let's go!

It's me.

[SIGHS]

we had another meeting at

the Pontida Monastery tonight.

We still haven't reached any

decision about what to do.

Alberto.

You live here by yourself?

- What is he doing here?

- Alberto is, uh...

where's your sister?

Where's Tessa?

- Tessa is dead.

- What?

What?

What happened?

Tessa is no longer of this world.

There's no use talking about it.

[SIGHS]

Master Guitelmo,

I need your permission to take

your daughter out of here.

[GASPS]

She can't keep on living here alone.

- I like to be here alone.

- Permission granted.

Why did you leave me?

Because you hurt me.

I was scared and angry.

I'm sorry.

You treated me like everyone else.

Antonia! Antonia!

[MAN]:
Alberto's back!

Eleonora! Eleonora!

- Antonia. I'm so happy to see you.

- I can't believe it.

[CHUCKLES] You've come!

Eleonora. I'm so happy to see you.

[ALBERTO]:
She's living around here.

Oh, you're back. I'm so happy.

The imperials!

[ALL SHOUTING]

[HORSE WHINNIES]

Get in. Take them in.

No.

You all know why we're here.

- Bastard!

- Wait.

One third of the harvest

belongs to the emperor.

Philip. In the cart.

Right away, Your Excellency.

Men, load the cart.

What's in there?

[MAN]:
Grab everything.

It's just a blacksmith's workshop.

A blacksmith's shop?

With a lock that big?

I wonder.

[HORSE WHINNIES]

[CHUCKLES, CLICKS TONGUE]

Hyah!

The imperials,

they treat us like animals,

and we let them do so for a long time.

That's over now.

We want to be free.

Free.

Do you know what I mean?

We'll look for other young men like us...

willing to die for freedom.

We'll form an army.

Help me. Hold it.

[CHUCKLES]

This could be our symbol:

An iron ring...

... that could bind us all together.

[SHOUTING, SCREAMING]

[MAN]:
It's a sign from God!

[WOMAN]:
Quickly! Quickly!

[SPEAKING FRENCH]

[MAN]:
It's a terrible

omen, Your Majesty.

The plague breaking out

on the day of coronation.

Don't be ridiculous!

The plague only broke out

because of the heat.

[WHISPERING]:
Did you see?

She interrupted the meeting.

Unheard of.

Unbelievable.

Unfortunately, Your Majesty,

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