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might come in handy.

Come on, this

is dangerous.

You should see it

from up here, Tomasso.

It's great.

Hey, hey, time to go. Come on, let's go.

Come on.

Stay with me.

I love the spirit,

the chaos.

The Italian people,

they've been through so much.

...they really deserve

some kind of democracy.

A guy who drives in a limousine

is gonna talk to me about people?

Well, you seem happy

enough to be driving one.

Do I seem

happy to you?

Tommaso, come on,

let's get out of here.

Nero.

What do you want?

They say you held him when he died.

Come in.

We are ebrei.

Jews.

When the Nazi come,

they raid the ghetto.

Everywhere they

take people away.

He give me a paper,

Signor Dellere...

...that say I am

born a Catholic.

I see. Like a

birth certificate.

If Jews had saints...

...they would pray

to Signor Dellere.

They're ready for

you, Signor Welles.

May God protect

you, Mr Welles.

Only death.

...knows all the answers.

Stop!

Signor Dellere's

last shot.

Is no usable.

None of it.

Now I must go to the funeral,

but tomorrow we do the re-shoots.

T ell me, did the

Police see this?

Of course.

And?

They say they

see nothing.

You were

watching, right?

He put his hand up against

his neck and took it away.

And yet nobody

said a word. Why?

Nero.

What?

The last words

of a murdered man.

Did you tell the

Police what he said?

No.

Then why tell me?

They fired you,

didn't they?

Huh.

Back to the hotel.

I say we

join the convoy.

Some people would say

this is not your business.

These are

people's lives.

Yes?

Real people.

I'm a director,

Signor Moreno.

People's lives

are my business.

Besides, I'm, uh,

addicted to mystery.

Look at her.

Breathtaking.

Is that the mother?

I think I recognize her.

Aida Padovani.

Aida Padovani, of course.

The silent movie star.

What's the joke?

No, no, no.

Nothing.

It's not every day you find them

all staring into the same grave.

Hey, look.

Were you a friend

of the deceased?

Pete Brewster.

Hey there, buddy.

Last time I saw you was

in a brothel in Sao Paolo.

Really? I didn't

think anybody saw me.

So, how the

hell are you?

I'm sorry about

Rita. Damn shame.

Yeah.

So, you're here with

the State Department?

That's right. Trying to get these

guys back on their feet after the war.

The Friendship Programme,

they call it.

Friendship?

You know, shipping in food,

bicycles, clothing, you name it.

We're even helping them

set up a new government.

You follow

the politics at all?

Not really, I just

read the graffiti.

The election's next month and there's

almost a hundred parties competing.

It's a mess. That's why we're getting behind

these new guys, the Christian Democrats.

They, at least, have a vision of the

future, not squabbling over the past.

In fact, well...

we're putting on this big show

as part of the election campaign...

...and I was wondering...

Go on.

I was hoping you might do your magic act.

I saw you do it for the troops

in '42, remember? Fantastic!

Yeah.

Oh, I don't know, Pete. I'm here

working on a picture, you know.

Yes, of course.

I'll keep a slot

open, just in case.

Sure.

And by the way, you still owe me a drink.

Surely not.

It's good to see you.

What did your

pal have to say?

He's not my pal. He's a

brute, he's an a**hole.

He have a name?

Mainardi.

Ugo Mainardi.

Calls himself

a Communist.

What's he doing here?

He told me they had

some business together.

Dellere had some

information wanted.

Did you ask him what

kind of information?

I did, yeah.

What did he say?

"Go f*** yourself. "

Charming.

I think it's time for me to pay

my respects to the grieving family.

The lovely Padovanis.

She'll never have

dinner with you.

What?

So, if you're not a

Communist, what are you?

Me? I'm nothing.

Come now, Tommaso. I think you need

to work on your self-esteem a little.

Or maybe you could

just lend me some?

Tomasso.

Hey.

Wait here.

Ferenc, no.

Sh*t.

The timing is

not an accident.

They knew we'd be

at the funeral.

Nothing seems

to be missing.

It looks like they were

looking for something.

Something particular.

Well, the Police

will be here soon.

What? What is it?

Mr. Welles, mother...

...is not convinced the

Police are being so helpful.

If you mean you think there's something

suspicious about Alessandro's death...

we're inclined to agree.

He was murdered

for sure.

And we are going

to find out who by.

My medicine.

Thank you.

Then, one morning.

I hear some cars

pull up outside.

They break in the door.

I hear jackboots

in the hall.

Cesare, my first husband, he tried to resist.

...and the Nazis,

they shot him.

They took Lea and I.

They interrogated us.

And then this handsome

actor appears like an angel.

Alessandro?

He gave us false

birth certificates.

...to say we

are not Jews.

"Age cannot wither her. "

Cleopatra.

I'm sure you

were wonderful.

Oh!

Oh.

Your Messalina.

You saw it?

Huh? No.

But it's legendary.

But you must come

and see it some time.

It was Alessandro's

favorite.

And perhaps when, uh, the

circumstances are kinder...

we might combine

it with dinner.

Dinner?

How could I resist?

All magicians, you know, have

something up their sleeve.

Giuseppe Albergini.

That's a

Christian Democrat.

Cardinal Sfogliano.

Count Montenegro.

He died last week.

Really?

Yeah. You didn't

read about it?

Gunned down in

his Mercedes.

Gianni Brasciatti,

that's the, uh...

The investor

for the film, yeah.

Ermano Pontecorvino.

That's another Christian

Democrat. He's-he's dead, too.

Mm.

What?

Orson Welles.

Yes. Mr. Peter Brewster.

Yes, this is

Orson Welles.

I'm a friend of his.

Ah. Would you please let

him know that I called?

It's very, very

urgent. Thank you.

I have no idea why he had

such a thing or what it means.

Does the name Nero

mean anything to you?

My mother takes

drugs for her pain.

Opium.

Alessandro got them from

a man he called Nero.

Do you know where

we might find him?

Sandro was a very

private guy sometimes.

I know this woman. She

worked for me in the force.

She knows all the dealers. I can contact her.

Orson!

Orson, you

remember Gianni?

Gianni Brasciatti.

Y es, of course. I never forget an investor...

...though there are many that

would like to forget me.

We were just wondering if you have

thought some more about my proposition.

What proposition?

Oh, a picture?

I was contemplating

the Bard.

Shakespeare!

Yes. A screenplay adaptation.

Shot for the first time

on location in Italy.

A wonderful idea, Orson. The

Merchant of Venice perhaps?

No.

Romeo and Juliet?

No. Othello.

You would make

a splendid Moor.

So, wh-what do you

think, Gianni, uh?

Signor Welles will

direct Othello, hm?

By William Shakespeare

here in Italy.

And you and

your friends.

will give us lots

and lots of money.

Hm?

I, uh...

Well, um...

we will do it.

Mr. Brasciatti.

You see, Othello was

a military genius.

And the powerful

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