Mamma Roma Page #2

and sell the meat in Rome.

How much do you need?

You know I don't have any money.

Two hundred thousand.

I can't. I spent it on the house,

and on the license

for the stall at the market.

Are you kidding me?

Don't you understand?

Do I have to teach you

how to make money?

Have you forgotten?

Haven't you had enough already?

Why make a fuss?

If you put your mind to it,

you can make that much in 10 days.

I'm counting on you.

I'll be back in two weeks.

Then I swear

you won't see me again.

How you like to dance, my son.

What an ugly view.

All you see is the cemetery.

I was planning on moving tomorrow,

but now we'll have to wait

two more weeks.

So what? We'll have fun later.

- Good-bye. I'm leaving.

- Who cares?

I'm off for good.

No hard feelings.

It's all yours, darlings!

Leaving us just like that?

- Good-bye, Biancofiore.

- No turning back?

You're the best of the bunch.

Good luck.

- Have another drink, on me.

What a lush.

To your health!

You'll need it

with all these diseases around.

So long, Biancofiore!

So long, dolls!

- Who are you looking for?

- Just out to get some air.

- I'm not hustling.

- It's about time.

What are you laughing about?

- I like you.

In all my years here,

nobody ever knew who I was.

Get it all off your chest.

There was a neighbor of ours,

a rich old man

with loads of money.

He dressed like Robespierre.

He had a mustache and cane,

like he was a king.

You know how he made his money?

Under fascism.

Mussolini told him,

"Build a district for the working class."

That became Pietrarancio.

Your turn!

The walls in the first house

he built were great.

So were the toilets. You could eat

from them, they were built so well.

Mussolini came back and said,

"That's just what I wanted."

The son of a b*tch.

As soon as Mussolini leaves,

he stops building houses

and just makes toilets.

They called the district "Latrinia."

Nothing but concrete tombs

as far as the eye could see.

God, was that old man ugly!

Some disease in Africa

had pockmarked his whole face.

He had asthma, rheumatism,

a bad heart, colitis, diabetes.

He stank to high heaven!

Was he a Christian at least?

He was 65 and I was 14.

I got married

in a young fascist girl's uniform!

No problems after the fall of fascism?

He was so old! You'd have thought

he only had two days to live.

Foaming at the mouth.

- Look who's here, Mamma Roma.

He's gonna die on me.

He's gonna die!

He's dying!

- Who's dying, Mamma Roma?

- The old man they made me marry.

- What an outrage! An old man?

- They made me. He was my husband.

And you didn't fight it?

If they'd done that to me -

Oh, sure, you think

you're smarter than me?

I'd have liked to see you in my shoes.

My mother was probably right

in making me marry him.

- What a lousy mother!

- "He's got millions," she'd tell me.

"He's rich. Seventy years old.

He'll die on you.

What's the matter with you?

Don't you want to be a lady?

You can pick the next one."

You slept with him?

Shame on you.

He was probably a sadist too.

You want to know something?

My mother's dead,

and so's my father,

but the old guy's still alive,

damn him!

That's why I took up this life.

I'm going. Good night!

I've paid my dues in this world,

and the next one, too.

I'm leaving for good!

Cha-cha-cha.

So long!

Take it easy. Still dancing

the cha-cha-cha at your age?

It's scandalous.

- Scandalous for who?

- For the hypocrites, of course.

Screw you and the hypocrites both!

It's a different world here.

That beautiful lady over there

owns a beauty parlor near our home.

That man's a big-shot monarchist.

That man over there owns a restaurant.

I'll marry you off

to that one's daughter.

That runt over there?

Look at her.

Why not? She's the right type of girl.

You should marry someone like that.

No way will I marry her.

Be quiet. You still wet the bed.

Isn't our new home beautiful?

What did I tell you?

Say hello to them.

- Ettore, are you coming out later?

- Yes, he'll be right there.

Here.

Take this, my little pimp.

Give me that hat.

Come on.

See her? Her name's Bruna.

Why tell me?

She's something.

Everybody knows it.

You can ask them.

Everybody goes with her,

even the garbage men.

She's good-looking, though.

You should see her legs.

Come on, we'll introduce you.

Hi, Bruna. How are you?

What are you doing here?

I brought the baby out

for some fresh air.

Look how cute he is.

When are you boys

going to have one like him?

Isn't that pretty? Let me see.

- Don't touch. It's dangerous.

- It's a skull. How ugly.

Is it porcelain? Can I have it?

Are you crazy?

You're so mean.

I want to introduce you to a friend.

- Nice to meet you.

- I'm Ettore.

He's a good guy, like us.

He told me he likes you.

That's not true.

Have you lived here long?

I've never seen you.

Not long.

Where did you live before?

In Guidonia.

His mother's the brunette

with the new stall near yours.

Signora Roma?

Such a good-looking woman.

I know her.

You work with her?

No, I don't.

Look.

It's Maria and Assunta

and their friends.

Let's go.

Assunta, where are you going?

Dancing.

Damn, it was only a vision.

Got any money?

None at all.

If we had some,

we could go see a show.

Let's go see the whores

in Caracalla and have a few laughs.

Let's go!

There's a black girl who likes me

and gives me smokes.

Have you ever been

with one of them?

One used to come to Guidonia,

for the soldiers.

There's Arsenal and Thunderbolt.

What's going on?

Listen.

Can I talk to you?

Is it safe?

Wait for us a minute, Ettore.

We have to talk.

You're patient.

You can wait, eh?

Are you guys up

for a job at the hospital?

It's visiting hours for relatives.

We pretend we're visiting someone.

We look for a good target,

walk by his bedside table

and grab his things.

We have to be careful, though.

Some don't have any visitors,

but they don't want to look lonely,

so they pretend to be asleep.

But we'll be careful.

Are you in?

- Shall we try it?

- Sure. Can't go anywhere without money.

See you tonight, Ettore.

We have stuff to do.

Ettore.

Ettore, what are you doing here?

I saw you from my window.

Right over there.

My baby fell asleep, so I took him home.

What are you doing here?

Just wandering around.

Bruna...

do you have a father and mother?

- Of course. Why?

God knows where those boys took you.

Watch out - they're a bad bunch.

- Do you like it?

- Yes. Can I have it?

Take it. I've had it for ages.

What use is it to me?

Just something I found.

This one's better than the skull.

Death is horrible.

Are you afraid of death?

No. When I was a kid,

I almost died a few times.

I had pneumonia and pleurisy.

I didn't even know I was dying.

Tomorrow I'll give you another present.

How much does a gold chain cost?

Three or four thousand lira.

I'll bring you one tomorrow.

Shall we take a little walk?

I love to hear the crickets sing.

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