Il sole anche di notte (The Sun Also Shines at Night)

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Script by PAOLO and VITTORIO TAVIANI

liberally based on the story "Father Sergius"|by L. Tolstoy

Come on.

Thank you.

NIGHT SUN:

It goes against my principles, sire...

to put forward the name|of Sergio Giuramondo.

But the young man dominates|his fellow cadets...

in intellectual and military disciplines...

as well as at the card table|and on the dance floor.

He is also conspicuous|for his excessive outbursts of rage.

Once he nearly threw an officer|out the window...

after a sarcastic remark about his appetite|as he was attacking a dish of cutlets.

But perhaps it's this infernal pride|of his that drives him...

to excel in everything he does.

What is it, then,|that goes against your principles?

The fact that he comes|from the minor provincial nobility.

He comes from some dismal part|of Basilicata.

From this point of view, most other cadets|have better credentials.

Is it they I hear singing|down in the courtyard?

Yes, sire, it is your cadets.

They know that Your Majesty|makes his choice this morning.

Why did you tell them?

Now they'll all be unhappy, I'm sure.

Forty-nine disappointed cadets...

for one fulfilled and content.

Bring my deck of cards!

You tell me this Sergio Giuramondo|is a good card player.

Have him come up.

I want to play a game of Scopa with him.

But you mean here, Your Majesty?

What better place?

Call Baron Giuramondo.

They want Sergio Giuramondo.

Baron Giuramondo!

If I'm not dreaming, nod your head.

Well done!

Where did you learn to play so well?

I learned...

in Basilicata, Your Majesty.|That's why I call this game Shaba.

Isn't dialect frowned upon|in the Military Academy?

I allowed myself one word in dialect|because everybody knows Your Majesty...

has studied it with love|to be close to our people.

And it was really hard, my boy.

Where are your thoughts now?

No, I order you to tell me|what you are thinking about.

That I am playing cards|with Your Majesty...

and that if I reached out, I could touch you.

- That my vow has been heard.|- What vow?

It was the year Your Majesty came down...

to drain the Terzano marshes.

The whole village came out to watch.

were skeptical.

I was only eight years old at the time...

but I sensed that Your Majesty was Ionely.

When the time came to go home...

and I walked all the way back.

What's the matter with your foot?

What's the meaning of this?

I made a vow.

At your age?

When I grow up, I want to be close...

to the King, so that I can help him.

Baron Giuramondo!

The winner's prize.

Somewhat sentimental for a soldier,|but I admire him.

The fellow had the courage to defeat me.

The court will not look favorably|on a youth of such humble origins.

Then we'll have to marry him|to one of our young duchesses.

Good-looking boy, too, I would say.|I imagine the girls like him.

Yes, sire, and it's reciprocated.|He has a reputation!

But there's not one duchess|who would accept him.

I have a certain young lady|in mind who might!

- Aren't you feeling well, my boy?|- What?

- Are you ill?|- No.

It's my brothers and sisters,|come and see.

They're crying over me.

They came to my room|a little while ago and realized...

that tomorrow I'm getting married|and I'll be leaving them forever.

They make me feel guilty|because I don't feel like crying.

Since I've known you, I don't seem to care|about anybody, not even the ones...

I was closest to.

Cristina!

Come here.

I'll come back every Sunday. I promise.

And you? How can you prove you love me?

Tell my daughter I want to see her.

Play me the introduction again.

My daughter will be singing the song.

How does it look there?|What do you think?

Try it a little higher. Like that?

- A little to the left perhaps.|- There?

We'll have Cristina sing the song, eh?

Yes, yes.

- What do you think?|- Perfect.

Bring that down a bit.

You're overtiring yourself, Cecilia.|Sit down for a minute.

I'm very worried, Mama.

Do you want to ruin|your daughter's happiest day?

I don't think it's right that...

Cristina, and all of us,|go on deceiving Sergio in this way.

We're in His Majesty's hands.

And I don't think that|the young man's all that unhappy, do you?

Because he doesn't know.

And you forget too easily.

Wait.

I must tell you something.|If I don't tell you now, I never will.

- It can't wait.|- What is it?

- Cristina!|- Yes?

Listen! Listen.

I've come to understand myself|since I've known you...

and I've found|that I'm better than I thought.

But I've known that for a while.|That's what made me love you.

If you do this|I will never be able to tell you.

You must know that|I approached you out of interest.

- I was thinking of my career.|- Stop it!

No, let me talk.

I wanted to be part of the aristocratic|society that excluded me.

But, my God,|how paltry all that seems next to you!

You despise me now for this.

How could I?

Cristina!

Now, come on.

Where have you been?

The musicians are waiting|to rehearse with you.

- Papa, I'd really...|- No, Cristina has to sing.

Mama, I don't want to sing,|please tell Papa.

- Of course you do, go on.|- Come on now.

Make yourselves comfortable.|And silence, everybody, please.

Papa!

But it's a present from the King!

Ah! Well, come and look, everybody.

What can it be? The King's present!

A golden cage!

- Look, two real doves!|- Cristina, come and see!

- Look, in the cage, two mechanical birds!|- They seem real!

Why, so there are!

- Do you think they sing?|- I'm sure they do.

Yes, you, too. Come and look.

- That's right, Giovanni, wind it up.|- Listen!

What a voice!

That is a gift worthy of a King!

- Are you in here?|- Don't open the curtains.

- Are you angry with me?|- No.

But stay where you are, please.

You are angry with me.

Just now you were honest with me,|now I must be honest with you.

I've already loved someone.

Yes, it was him, King Charles.

We all love him. I imagine when|you were in school, all you girls...

No, no, it was after that. No, close them!

That was nothing else but young love,|it was normal. Then it was different.

Charles and I were lovers,|we were lovers for a whole year.

Everyone knew about it.

That's the only reason|my family accepted you.

Now you can open the curtains.

Yes.

Go.

Go!

Sergio!

My son...

If you weren't a woman!

We're leaving.

We're leaving.

You've forgotten your coat, sir.

Forgive me. I'm sorry.

Come on.

You're not to be trusted either!

Sergio!

Grandfather's been waiting to eat|for nearly an hour.

Sergio's not here,|he went down to the river.

Down to the river!

Sergio likes our young peasant girls.

Tonight I'll make him tell me everything.

None of you have any respect.

Mother, aren't you going|to come and eat either?

You go on without me.

I'm not hungry.

You have no respect, I say.

You don't let me eat on time,|you don't let me sleep at night.

Last night I didn't close my eyes|for a second.

Who is it who's sleeping|in the room next to mine?

Someone seems to have|brought a baby there.

And it cried all night long.

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