Mio figlio Nerone

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He thought I wouldn't find him here.

But what force on earth could

separate a mother from her son?

Imagined what it is to be mother of Nero.

The same thing happens every time:

The moment when Rome is in a crisis,

the emperor retreats to the seaside.

Nero... Nobody knows him better than I.

I know what goes on in that villa of his...

...where he is working on "state affairs".

Here come the heroic Roman legions...

Sleeping with the rabble, playing dice...

Instead of defending the borders...

...they use their spears to catch fish.

My son wasn't always like that.

But he got under a bad influence.

That is why I have prepared a surprise...

Agrippina. Help, Agrippina is coming!

Agrippina is here! Help!

Halt.

Present arms! Attention!

- You cannot enter.

- Is that so?

Evidently the young centurion

does not know who I am.

You are Augusta Agrippina, the mother of Nero.

- And I should not be allowed to enter?

- You wear a purple shawl.

Yes, it is purple.

Nero has forbidden anyone

to wear the royal colour.

A button is missing. It's a disgrace.

And you are impertinent.

Think about your career.

Do you have a mother?

- Yes, in Padua.

- Then stand back if you want to see her again.

Germans, don't camp too near to the villa...

... otherwise my son might think

that I am trying to force him.

- Is it safe for you to enter alone?

- Oh, I will not go alone.

- My secret weapon.

- A mongoose. A snake killer.

Yes, I always keep it with me these days.

- You will also find Seneca on your path.

- I know.

You disgust my feet, you disgust my hands.

You make me wish I was a hunchback...

... You make me loose all my teeth.

This is how the coward fears death.

But philosophers, like me, regard

death only as a supreme enjoyment.

- It is Agrippina.

- Agrippina! - Yes.

- Impossible! It is not a hallucination?

- No. She must have bitten the snake first.

Oh, my dear Agrippina.

What a pleasant surprise!

- You look as young and beautiful as ever.

- Who did it, you or Nero?

How can you say such a thing...

about your son and your dearest friend?

- You gave orders to keep me out.

- Why would I do such a thing?

- It's a strange misunderstanding.

- You are always welcome here.

- Do you intend to stay here?

- It depends. How is my son? - Very well.

With my guidance, he is becoming

a real man:
Serious and devoted...

- What is this nonsense?

- Experiments of Nero.

- He wants to have our ships towed by fish?

- Yes.

He has surrounded himself

with students to work it out.

Find Aniceto! Drunk or sober,

dead or alive, bring him here.

- Who are all these people? -

- His fellow students.

They are all friends of Nero:

Architects, scholars, poets...

- All people with creative genius.

- Creative? What have they created so far?

What is this, a poet?

He is a general. That one is a senator.

Nero chooses them with great care.

She is the daughter of a praetor,

she is the wife of a consul...

- What is this? - It is a finger.

- What! - Yes, a finger.

It is the finger of Ennius Silanus.

- He used to wag his finger under

the nose when he speaks. - He does.

- And so Nero...

- Nero had it cut off.

- Have you seen Aniceto? - No.

- Find him. The emperor needs him right away.

- And where is Nero right now?

- He is in a meeting.

An important conference with the senators.

- In its study?

- Yes. Important state affairs.

He is not to be disturbed.

I am good. They all know that I am good.

(angry) You are here because I want you!

(angry)

You are distracted. You are so distracted today!

How can I compose the melody

of the forest if you can't keep time?

It's an easy rhythm. Pay attention.

Again, from the beginning.

(Nero sings)

(the animals make noise)

Who couldn't keep the tempo, you?

Yes. You are useless.

I had my doubts about you from the start...

I wanted to make you a senator. Instead,

you are an owl, and will always be an owl.

From here, the pig can take over.

- But what are you doing? Pig, are you asleep?

- Enough!

Poppea, I do not understand you.

What do you want?

You keep on torturing those

animals, it is too cruel.

It is cruel if artists study long and hard?

Is that what you say?

It is good enough. You should get some sleep.

I can't, I must learn the song

before the morning is over. You sleep!

I cannot sleep with this stink!

It smells like a stable in here.

- And when I fall asleep, the pig and the

owl wake me up. - Darling, don't make a fuss!

Not in front of the artists!

- But why didn't you tell me she was alive?

- I couldn't get away from her.

- She almost had me killed.

- Nero will kill me. How can I tell him?

- Are you not his executioner?

- I am an officer of the Navy.

I only kill because I have to think of my family.

I must try to find Nero in the villa.

Once more, with feeling.

Pig, goat, owl... owl, watch the tempo!

(Nero sings)

- Nero! Nero!

- What do you want? Do not disturb me!

- Your mother has arrived.

- Yes, in the underworld! - No, she is here!

- She is there, waiting for you.

- She is alive. Are you sure?

- Yes. She wants to come here, but Seneca is

stalling her. - Hide the animals!

- Poppea, you hide too. - Why, what happened?

- My mother is coming. Go away, quickly.

- You leave with all the animals!

- I am not an animal!

- No time to argue! Move, get outside.

- No. I want to meet your mother.

You are crazy? She won't like it!

- The emperor of Rome is afraid of his own mother!!

- There is no time to loose!

Every time your mother

visits you force me to hide.

- Enough!

- Last time you locked me in the cellar.

- Leave! Go to your room. - The father of

the nation, trembling before his mother!

Do not provoke me! My mother

is here! Go away now!

My mother is coming, go!

Seneca, stop your silly excuses, I am loosing

my patience. I want to speak to my son.

Agrippina, are you doubting my sincerity?

Is doubt corrupting our deep, sacred friendship...

- Where did she go? - Who?

- Agrippina. - Agrippina!

(worried) Agrippina?

Agrippina has arrived! Run away!

Agrippina is here!

Ah! The senators, the meeting...

- Nero! Nero, my dear!

- Mother, what a great surprise. How you are?

You have put on weight.

Oh, your eyes are bloodshot.

Let me see your tongue.

Oh, and I see you have grown a beard!

Do you like it?

It makes me look like my grandfather!

The senators use perfume, eh?

Where is that woman?

Which woman? There is only me here.

Is that not enough for you?

- I believe she is called Poppea?

- Who is that? I do not know her.

- See if you know these...

- Vipers! Mama, help!

- Where did you find them?

- Where I always find them, in my bed. Three!

- How terrible! I'm so glad you

discovered them in time. - Yes.

- I also found the slave that planted them.

- Did you have him killed?

No, I tortured him, until he confessed

that you had ordered him to do it.

- I know nothing about it, mother.

- You come here. Nero!

You come here. Nero!

Look at me. Straight in the eyes.

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