I Vitelloni Page #6

The theater is a tyrant.

But you've got it.

You really liked it?

You've got it here... and here.

Sir.

"I'm a product of my time.

I am, alas, powerless.

Do you understand, Frida,

the writhing agony of my soul?"

Frida laughs.

"I understand, Roberto,

that you are consumed by pride..."

Salt.

"...by your being. Roberto laughs.

What more damage can pride do

to a soul already ruined?

Blind man!

Only fear could save you."

Blind man!

Only fear could save you.

Brilliant! But that was Frida's line.

She goes on.

"In the silence of your desert,

don't you hear a voice calling you?"

Robert, ironic:
"Your voice, Frida?"

"No... God's."

So ends Act II.

Beautiful.

Don't you think it's good?

- I like it.

- May I start Act III?

- Go on.

- Act III, Scene i.

The door!

I'll close it.

Waiter, what have you got?

- Have you eaten, sir?

- May I go on, sir?

Very well, thank you.

- Of course, read on.

- Act III, Scene i.

What's the omelet Romagnola?

The one with all that grease?

- It's our specialty, with bchamel.

- All right, I'll have that.

Ask Mr. Natali to introduce us.

Why not?

They'll be represented

by two figures clad in white.

Black light will give the scene

a nightmarish quality.

The wind from time to time

will carry in the cry of the gulls.

As if shaken by a sudden shiver,

Frida turns.

She looks tired, aged. She approaches him.

"There will be no moon tonight."

I like you, baby.

And if you're not drinking with me,

damn you to hell!

- Can you do Gary Cooper?

- Alberto, do the saw.

I do a good saw.

But you've got to close your eyes.

Be quiet and listen!

My turn to do an impression.

My grandmother.

- Granny, I'll never leave you.

Can't you do impressions?

Why are you so serious?

I like this dark-haired boy.

He's got class.

That's true.

"No, not even crime horrifies me now.

Yet I can remember..."

Hey, there's a radio here.

I'm gonna turn it on.

That's a naughty thing to say.

Leopoldo, where are you going?

I'll tell you later.

I feel poetically inspired.

An idea worthy of a genius!

An ocean breeze, a night wind.

- Sir, my friends...

- Your friends disappoint me.

He who cares not for art

cares not for life.

Is the beach that way?

- Yes, sir.

Excellent!

Let's use first names -

we're both artists, after all!

Your Frida is wonderful.

She's marvelous.

What a well-sculpted character.

Perfect for Ferrati!

Excellent! I'll write to her tonight.

She'll be thrilled.

If Act IV is anything like

the first two you read me,

I can tell you we have

a guaranteed success on our hands.

What's your name?

- Poldo, sir.

Leopoldo, in two months

you must come with me to Milan.

- Really, sir? Are you serious?

- Call me Sergio.

- Sir, are you serious?

- Come, Leopoldo. Let's read Act IV.

Sir, you have no idea

what this means to me.

I was ready to give up

on all my dreams.

- Is the beach this way?

- This way, sir.

Sergio, I can hardly express...

This town is blind to art.

It's so hard,

being perpetually misunderstood.

My friends don't even understand me.

They only care about material things.

They live their sordid lives,

thinking of women and money.

I feel so alone.

And the winter is awful.

It's endless in this town.

I'm so full of sadness and anguish.

At midnight the town goes dark.

How can an artist feed his demons?

How can he live in this silence?

The years go by,

then one morning you wake up.

Just yesterday you were a boy,

and now you're no longer young.

My hat!

But that's all over now. In two months

I'll go to Milan, Genoa, anywhere.

I knew I shouldn't give up.

I knew I'd find my way,

that one day you'd come along.

Where are you?

The wind has died down.

Is that the pier?

Come and read me Act IV.

Sir - Sergio, where are you going?

We'll find a spot down there.

But it's dark down there.

Come.

Come.

You aren't afraid of me, are you?

Poldo, where are you going?

I was joking.

What did you think I meant?

Come back here, Poldo.

Bye.

Bye, baby.

Don't catch cold.

I'll come to the station

in the morning to see you off.

What are you doing here?

- I was waiting for you.

- Good for you. Thanks.

I think it's better

if we go home together.

Of course.

Man, what a woman!

You know what she told me?

If I could sing, she'd hire me.

Honest. She was going

to take me on tour.

It's not a bad life.

You travel, you're free,

you have fun, no worries.

Always surrounded by women.

What about you?

What about me? Nothing.

Why not?

She really wasn't bad-looking.

What's wrong with you?

Nothing. I was just thinking.

About what?

Sandra.

What's she got to do with this?

You gonna preach to me now?

Is that why you waited for me?

Answer me.

Good night.

You've still got lipstick

on your face.

Other side.

Sandra, aren't you asleep yet?

Look at that little face.

- Don't touch him!

Why not?

Are you crying?

- Go away. Get out.

- What did I do?

- Go away.

Sandrina.

- Don't touch me.

- You'll wake the baby.

Tell me what I did, at least.

That morning, Sandra left the house

at dawn without a word to anyone...

and at noon

she still hadn't come back.

Here comes Riccardo

with Papa's car.

Hi, Riccardo. Hi, Alberto.

Get in, Fausto.

Hi, Fausto.

Moraldo went to see Miss Rossi,

Sandra's old teacher.

She might have gone to see her.

That's right, Fausto.

I think she might be there.

Let's go to the school

and then to her nanny's.

How far to the nanny's?

What about the gas?

What happened?

Did you have a fight?

Well?

She hasn't seen her.

Get in.

Let's go to the nanny's.

You go ahead.

I'll look for her on my own.

What's happened to her?

Nothing, miss.

Forget about him. Let's go.

Leopoldo, how about before

we leave town we grab a bite to eat?

We could grab a bite to eat

before we leave town.

Shut up!

I think we'll find her at the nanny's.

I'm sure of it.

She went to show her

the baby. You'll see.

That's what I think.

She went to show her the baby.

Did you have anything to eat

before you left the house?

Nothing at all?

- I'm not hungry.

- A sandwich, maybe...

- I'm not hungry.

- Where are we supposed to turn?

- Let's get out.

- Let's ask for directions.

- Ask who? There's nobody here.

There's a house down there.

There's no one there.

This is a wasteland.

Fausto, where are you going?

- Watch Leopoldo.

- Go ahead, do it.

- Hey, you could have hit me.

- Don't look at me. It was him.

Quiet.

Did you hear the pipit?

- What?

- The pipit.

That's no pipit.

That's a robin.

That's no robin.

Robins sound like this...

How do robins sound?

Robins sound like this...

But Sandra wasn't at the nanny's either.

Fausto was getting scared.

- What happened?

- Riccardo.

We have to go back right away.

- The car won't start.

We'll have to take

the carburetor apart.

- May I borrow that bicycle?

- Of course, dear boy.

It belongs to Cesare,

but he won't need it today. Be careful.

Would you like something to eat?

An omelet with bacon, maybe.

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