"Oh, yes." "The Second World War had been quite a disaster for poor old Italy." "Their Fascist leader, Mussolini, had teamed up with Hitler." "...and thought he was on a winning ticket." "Then, Benito was shot by partisans." "...and strung up by his heels in the local square." "Now, in 1948, the country is still leaderless broke and heading for chaos." "Sure, the rich are still rich." "If you're not in furs, you're in rags." "People are starving and disillusioned and getting angrier by the day." "Meanwhile, the black market is booming." "With a fistful of lire you can get yourself just about whatever you want." "And if you still harbor a grudge or two from the war, it's a fine time." "...to lay your mind to rest." "Certainly." "Passport." "Here." "My, uh, slimming pills." "Slimming?" "We have to take these." "That will be all." "Welcome to Roma, Mr..." "Welles." "Orson Welles." "Thank you." "So, there I was, Orson Welles." "The great actor-director hitting the eternal city in '48." "I just landed a lead role in a picture called Black Magic." "So you see, by now I'd grown pretty accustomed to the spotlight." "Tyrone Power!" "Hey, Tyrone Power." "It's true." "Perhaps the light had dimmed a little." "But don't worry." "I wasn't quite ready to relinquish my crown." "Signor Welles, has she broken your heart?" "Eh, is there another man?" "Signor Welles, do you know who is he?" "I assume you're speaking of Rita." "Sure." "The divorce is finished, no?" "The marriage is finished, the divorce is in the works." "Are you planning to visit the Vatican while you're here, Mr. Hayworth?" "I'd hoped to get away, to forget for a while my private pain." "But she my God, she was everywhere." "This damn costume." "Is there a problem?" "It's too small." "No, no, it's fine." "You sure it's all right?" "It feels tight." "No, no, no, no, no." "It's terrific." "No?" "Absolutely." "Absolutely." "Signor Wells." "Signor Wells." "Your Rita, she's so beautiful, so sexy." "Isn't she?" "She's my favorite of them all." "It is such a tragedy you've been abandoned by her." "I think you'll find it was the other way round." "Marco, delighted to see you've drummed up so many extras." "Well done." "No, no, no." "These are not extras, Orson." "They are refugees." "Refugees, really?" "Yes, of course." "The city is still full of them." "Your Occupation Army has no other place, so I let them use my studio." "We are shooting synch sound?" "A little noisy." "Oh, don't worry." "I make it quiet when the cameras, they roll." "Let's make a picture!" "Okay, hard facts." "My heart was broken and my career was on the slide." "Right now this was all I could get." "A second-rate film with a third-rate director." "Nefter zufu, thousand blessing." "Oh, and the script." "From the darkness beyond night from the forbidden mountains." "...on the secret side of the moon, behold!" "Cagliostro." "See what I mean?" "It's wonderful, Orson." "It's perfect." "Moby Dick." "No." "The whale doesn't have to be huge and neither does the budget." "But, you see, I had plans, many of them." "To direct a host of movies that even now are running in my head." "Another masterpiece was waiting in the wings." "And the chance to return home the conquering hero." "There is my, my Othello, of course." "Who's that by?" "By William..." "Look, could I please speak to Mr. Korda in person?" "How could I know then the chain of events the danger, deception and murder." "...that was about to unfold?" "I'm sorry to intrude but we shall be working together this afternoon, Mr. Welles." "And I must say what a great honor it is for me." "Please, sit down." "And, you know?" "We have a passion in common." "A magician." "My card." "Alessandro Dellere." "Oh." "Bravo." "Oh, yes, and I hear you had a little trouble at the customs." "Yes." "My slimming pills." "How did you..." "Remarkable." "All the movie is in my head." "I have one master, one close-up on you." "Yes, but you need to go low and wide." "You have to give it some power when the dragoons attack!" "Alessandro." "I am the director, no?" "The director that commands the most respect is the one who listens the most." "But, Orson, wait a minute." "When you direct, you never listen to the actors." "Never." "It is my great weakness." "And have them put an 18-mil-lens on the third camera." "And add some torches to the background to deepen the focus." "Yeah?" "What third camera?" "I think she recognizes me." "He looks like the Queen." "Who is she?" "One of our players." "Lea Padovani." "She's temperamental." "She's magnificent." "Orson, are you ready?" "They're coming." "They're coming." "The army." "No, no, stop, stop, stop, stop!" "Alessandro." "Ne..." "Ro." "Nero." "You know Signor Dellere how long?" "I only met him yesterday." "At the studio, we know." "And we know he gave you something, yes?" "What?" "Oh, yes." "He gave me my, uh, slimming pills." "Clearly a very well connected man." "You have?" "Yes." "And what did he say to you?" "He was very pleasant." "Nothing really." "How did he die?" "Was it his heart?" "He takes too much drugs." "Really?" "We find this in his coat." "In the dressing room." "It was opium." "Very strong, very pure." "Well, he didn't seem under the influence when I spoke to him." "He was addicted many years." "It's an overdose." "What?" "Overdose." "When he was dying, did he say something to you?" "Did he whisper something, yes?" "What did he say to you, Mr. Welles?" "Mr. Welles?" "I couldn't make it out." "Okay, Tomasso, let's go." "Back to the hotel, Mr. Welles?" "Be right there." "You in next?" "Because there's definitely something tricky going on." "Why you say that?" "I got this bit player dying in my arms." "...and he didn't look like an addict to me." "And he was definitely trying to tell me something." "He was whispering." "What do you mean?" "What did he say?" "Perhaps I owe you an introduction." "I know who you are." "You are the Army Occupation." "You have invaded Cinecitta." "Ah, the camera." "I would have apologized, but I was struck dumb by your beauty." "Americans think the world is made so they can play with it." "The Italians own everything worth having." "The best wine, the best food." "Except when we are starving." "In that case, may I invite you to dinner?" "You may not!" "The bit player, he was my stepfather." "Oh, I'm..." "I guess you'll be dining alone, Mr. Welles." "I wouldn't bet on it, T omasso." "What's your story with the cops?" "Fat one an old flame?" "I used to work here." "Criminal Investigation Department." "You're a little young to be a cop." "Ex-cop." "Ex-cop?" "I made life difficult for the wrong people." "So, cop, what kind of fellow was Dellere?" "Take my advice." "Italy is a very dangerous place right now." "Anger from the war." "Don't get involved." "So you think it was a vendetta of some kind?" "You have a problem understanding my English?" "No." "What's going on?" "Communist demonstration." "Hey, hey, wait!" "T ogliatti, T ogliatti." "Hey, wait." "Mr. Welles, come back." "Hey, wait." "Hey, what the hell are you doing?" "Get out of the shot." "Never know when it 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 asshole." "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 fuck 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." "Shit." "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 don't trust genius." "They may respect it may envy it." "They may use it for their own purpose, but don't trust it." "When I first went to Hollywood, I might as well been a Moor." "I had a legion of lagos, all plotting my downfall." "It's a waste of their time, of course." "I'm perfectly capable of destroying myself." "Stop the car." "Wait, wait." "No!" "No!" "Down, down!" "Brasciatti." "At least this time we can be sure it wasn't an overdose." "Yeah, and if you give to us sooner the list, Signor Brasciatti." "...he might still be walking around." "Maybe." "And maybe ifyou looked a little closer at the Dellere case you would have found the list yourself." "Gentlemen." "I owe you my life." "No big deal." "You know my informer?" "Yes." "She's got a lead on Nero." "Mr. Welles, do you believe it's a Russian plot?" "Is it true you were working undercover, Mr. Welles?" "Maybe it was the Russians?" "How does it feel to be a hero?" "A hero?" "Well, I don't know about that." "The American Government is paying you, Signor Welles?" "Surely not." "Must be good to be back on the front pages, Mr. Hayworth." "You could have got yourself killed." "Y eah, and saved somebody else the trouble." "What did I do exactly?" "You just foiled a Communist plot." "Plot?" "What plot?" "Remember these guys?" "Yeah, from the funeral." "Ugo, Ugo, that Communist guy." "Seems they'd do just about anything to win the elections." "Really?" "Everyone on the list is either Christian Democrat or Democrat supporter." "What's it got to do with me?" "Why do they wanna kill me?" "'Cause you're a Yank." "We're backing them, too." "These people hate that." "Your assassination is a neat way of making these feelings known." "The higher the profile, bigger the headline." "Haven't they ever heard of Tyrone Power?" "You'll be fine." "Good morning, Mr. Welles." "James Dunn, your Ambassador here in Rome." "Allow me to introduce Signor Cava of the Christian Democrat Party." "And Monsignor Pressner of the Vatican." "Signor." "The great and the good." "I'm honored." "We must thank you, Mr. Welles." "You have done this country a truly great service." "I'm only too pleased to see justice done." "We are hoping you might also honor us, uh, with your magic show." "Uh, Mr. Brewster, he tell us so much about it." "Strengthen the bond between nations." "For the election campaign?" "Part of the Friendship Programme, exactly." "Friendship, yes." "You help us win the election... we help you make your wonderful films." "Oh." "You mean financing?" "Why not?" "You don't like them, huh?" "What?" "Christian Democrats?" "Yeah." "Nice shiny suits." "Meaning?" "They still have their black shirts in the closet." "My guess is half of them were Fascists in the war." "Tell me something, Tommaso." "Were you born cynical or did you have to cultivate it?" "So, back to the hotel?" "What do you think?" "Uh, I think we still have a loose end." "Tombolo?" "What happens in Tombolo?" "You don't want to go there." "Well, you don't seem too keen yourself." "So much of the art of cinema died when sound as introduced." "You really think so?" "Oh, yes, I know so." "But a great performance always survives." "And here's the finale." "Messalina." "The Joan Crawford of ancient Rome." "And how like your daughter." "Same profile." "Ribbons of dreams." "So, Marco, I hear you are to make a film of Othello with Mr. Welles." "Is it true?" "Yes, indeed." "The preparations have begun." "I hope you gentlemen are considering my daughter." "She would make the perfect Desdemona." "Mother, please." "I'm only saying what it's obvious." "You are the genuine article, after all." "I'll certainly keep her in mind." "Good evening, everybody." "Aida." "Hello." "Lea, have you forgotten?" "No, I'm ready." "Excuse me, everyone." "Mother, I'm sorry, I did tell you." "I know, I know." "Enjoy yourselves." "Where are you going?" "We're going dancing." "You want to come?" "You should take Signor Welles." "Show a bit of the town." "Hm?" "Uh, I don't think so." "Of course, why not?" "You must come." "She isn't seeing Glenn Ford, she's seeing Aly Khan." "Of course, my even greater star is Veronica Lake." "Do you know her?" "Yes." "Oh, she is so, so, so..." "Short." "Like a ray of sunshine." "Her skin is like cream and her hair is pure gold." "Your Desdemona, she should have the golden locks." "Did Lea say we saw your films?" "No!" "And?" "Um, they surprised me." "Surprised you?" "Good surprise or bad surprise?" "Well, if they were bad, I wouldn't have been surprised." "Come on." "I have to go." "Could you see Stella gets safely home?" "Yes, of course." "Is Rita?" "No." "No, it's..." "It's not Rita." "I got you, Mr. Welles." "You make a lot of trouble." "Big fucking trouble." "I think maybe it's time for you to die, yes?" "Is no the Communists." "We no make this list." "We no make those killings." "If we want you dead, you'd be dead long time." "Orson?" "Tombolo." "Is they who is trying to kill you." "Orson, are you okay?" "Tombolo." "After the war, all the outlaws, the gangsters, collaborators the prostitutes, deserters, they moved out of Rome." "They took refuge in the woods." "They call it Tombolo but this is not a town." "It's a disease." "So, tell me." "In the war." "...the Fascists brought people here to torture them." "People, huh?" "Only ghosts." "Only ghosts." "Some of these ghosts, they won't lay down." "They still breathe the same air we breathe." "You're out of your fucking depth." "That may very well be where I'm most at home, Tomasso." "The name Nero?" "No." "Can I help you, gentlemen?" "My name is Joe." "Follow me." "Hey, baby!" "We got company." "This here is Flavia." "Yes, I believe we've met." "So, where's Nero?" "That's me." "Giuseppe Nero." "Joe Black." "So, gentlemen, what's the deal?" "Have you ever heard of, uh, Alessandro Dellere." "You got some kind of accusation to make?" "Down!" "Get down!" "You bring the cops?" "You set me up?" "No." "What's happening?" "A raid." "Military Police." "Stay quiet." "Rounding up deserters." "Ain't never gonna catch Joe Black." "Thank you." "Why would I kill Mr. Dellere when he was gonna get me back to the States?" "He was?" "Sure." "He was gonna get me a passport and everything." "I heard he prepared fake papers for Jews during the war." "For a price, yeah." "What's more after you got it, you might have to keep on paying." "He saved Jews to blackmail them?" "I'm telling you, Mr. Dellere was into all kind of monkey business." "Got into some bad shit." "Wanted me to go in with him." "Even threatened to turn me in if I didn't." "I politely threatened him back." "What kind of deep shit?" "Hell, man, why should I tell you?" "Look, Joe, I..." "I know important people." "Ambassadors, State Department people." "People that can help you get back home." "We got a deal?" "You could give me your word." "You got it." "Follow me." "What is it made you run, Joe?" "I was in Transpo, fifth Army." "Seen a bunch of my friends get blown into little pieces." "Then they pulled us back behind the lines." "...and I see the Nazi son of a bitches been killing us." "...getting treated better than we are." "So, one day I go on leave get a little drunk and I don't come back." "Here we are." "So Dellere was blackmailing these people?" "Let's take a closer look." "That's where we part company." "Joe." "Thank you." "Wait." "Come on." "Come." "Okay." "What's in those boxes?" "Tommaso!" "Wait, I wanna see." "Let's go." "Orson." "Orson!" "I'm telling you, Pete, there were enough guns to start a revolution." "Phone call from Washington, sir." "Not now." "You think it's the Communists?" "First the hit list, then this?" "I guess they're not happy with the occasional assassination." "Maybe they're looking for civil war." "You really think they're that organized?" "Sure." "Now they've hooked up with the Russians... wouldn't surprise me if this whole thing wasn't cooked up in the Kremlin." "L-I don't think it's the Communists." "Yeah, that guy with Mainardi, I mean, you know, he could have killed me." "Do something for me." "I don't care who does what to whom in this country but you're an American citizen." "That means you are my responsibility." "And you're so lucky not to be floating face down in the Tiber right now." "So, please, finish your lousy movie." "...and try to stay out of trouble for five minutes." "Maybe you're right." "I know I'm right." "It is a lousy movie." "I'm only kidding." "Sweet of you to care." "Don't kid yourself." "You die on my turf you foul up my report." "Some people have got work to do." "Will you do something for me, Pete?" "If it's sensible." "This guy, Joe Black..." "I made him a promise that he could get back home." "It would mean a lot to me." "Joe Black?" "I'll get on to it." "Thanks." "Orson." "Behave yourself." "No!" "He saved me, you know, my mother and me." "Maybe he got caught up with bad people." "Okay, the truth." "I always felt there was another side to him." "A side even my mother did not know." "A kind of shadow." "But I never dreamed." "I'm so tired." "So tired." "You're beautiful." "It gives me wonder, great as my content." "To see you here before me." "O, my soul's joy." "I think I'm in love." "I think you're confused." "Oh, no." "As I look into your eyes..." "I begin to understand myself." "Is that a quotation, too?" "Oh, no." "Maybe some day." "It's okay." "I probably won't slap you." "If you say go, I go without argument... without complaint." "Go then." "Now." "Okay." "Lorenza." "That's a wrap." "Now is the time for serious business." "Now is the time to give the world your noble Moor, Othello." "Yes." "Actually, I've, um, begun casting." "May I introduce you." "...my Desdemona." "Of course." "The genuine article." "Marco." "You are serious?" "Yes, of course." "And you will be a wonderful Desdemona." "We will be wonderful together." "For I fear my soul hath her content, so absolute." "Good evening, Mr. Welles." "Word is, Mr. Welles, you've been snooping about the place." "Asking too many questions." "Is that right?" "What kind of questions?" "Now, that's what I mean, see?" "You're planning to do your next picture in his country, I hear." "A Shakespearean tragedy." "Yeah." "Othello." "I guess the real tragedy would be it didn't happen." "Maybe not such a great idea mixing with your Commie pals in public." "It's terrible." "You see what I'm saying?" "Look how much weight I've put on." "But you see the ramifications, I think." "They say there's a new era dawning in the States." "There's gonna be a major shake-out, they say." "Names are gonna be named." "Careers are gonna be ruined." "And if these were to end up in the hands of the wrong people, huh?" "You're ahead of me, Mr. Welles." "You're a very persuasive man, Mr..." "Luciano." "Luciano?" "Yeah." "So, hey be a good boy, stop with the snooping just do your little magic act and maybe you and the Bard will get to do business after all." "And the good news is we've got even more stars from back home to make an appearance." "Tyrone Power, no less." "Mr. Welles, do you have everything you need for the performance?" "Let me see." "Hopefully a captive audience." "A beautiful assistant." "The finance for my next picture." "Who needs a stage?" "I should be walking on air." "It is an alliance of some kind." "The Mafia, the Fascists, the Christian Democrats." "A conspiracy." "Those weapons in Tombolo, it isn't a Communist plot." "It's a plot against the Communists." "It's a plan to destroy them." "In case they win the elections, huh?" "Yeah." "It has the ugly ring of truth." "We gotta do something." "Elections are next week." "Orson, you have to go to the newspapers." "Now, just a second." "We have to blow this wide open." "They won't listen to me." "No." "Tomasso, I can't." "What?" "Your country, it's... it's a tragedy." "It's tearing itself apart." "It's not as if I haven't done my bit to help." "What are you saying?" "You gotta draw the line somewhere." "It's-it's your career?" "Is that it?" "You-you're afraid of losing the money for your movie?" "It's not just a career, Tomasso." "Because of your big Mr. Welles career you're gonna sit on your fat ass and do nothing?" "What I'm trying to do is avoid being rubbed out by one of your homicidal compatriots!" "We're this far because of you." "Jesus, you-you people you come over here, you-you piss with our country, you piss with our women." "Piss?" "Now you're gonna go and suck Democrat dicks." "The truth is, is that this is your own private little war that you're fighting." "Finally, what's it got to do with me?" "You're right." "Fucking American." "I quit." "Crazy Italians." "That include me?" "Absolutely." "I have a reputation, a responsibility as an artist." "You understand?" "I understand." "Maybe it is not your fight." "Look, I sympathize, but..." "if Othello goes down the pan it's not good for either one of us." "Who knows?" "Maybe your movie is not the most important thing in the world." "What?" "It's our movie." "Look, I was wondering, do you have time for a cup of coffee?" "Uh, a little busy right now." "I've just got the costume designs for Desdemona." "I thought you might wanna see them." "You're gonna look great!" "Orson, I'm really not sure." "But they're wonderful." "You should take a look at the set designs." "They're fantastic!" "Understand this." "Italy is not a location." "She's my country." "She has suffered enough." "Yes, but..." "Yes?" "No, please, Signor Borghera, come in." "So?" "They never found the killer?" "That's right." "Maybe they weren't looking in the right places." "Look at the third mirror." "There." "Watch for the figure in the cloak." "Who's behind that mask?" "I thought the set would block the cameras." "But your specialty, Mr. Welles, this low angle." "He could be so tender." "He nursed me brought me opium for the pain." "I thought maybe he loved me, too." "Maybe a little." "But then, one day, I found the needle with enough in it to kill me." "Seems he could wait no longer for my money." "And, so, I ran to the studio, and I ran to the set and..." "I ask you only one thing." "Please, let me tell my daughter." "Very well." "Will you go to the Police now?" "I'm not so sure." "In the current climate a crime of passion has a certain refreshing charm." "You like?" "It's perfect." "It's so exciting, Orson." "Is there a problem?" "Sometimes you get the feeling that you've got a handle on things, and then suddenly it." "...all becomes confusing." "Do you ever get that?" "Most of the time." "Look older fatter fear growing behind the eyes." "Of what you are afraid?" "Afraid of being found out." "Discovering I'm a nothing." "An empty box of tricks." "And a coward." "My poor, sad Orson." "We are all ugly sticks of shit." "But at least we have our dreams." "It's a blessing." "Yes." "I'm a film maker for Christ's sake." "What do they expect of me?" "What?" "What is it?" "Yes?" "Joe Black's dead." "What?" "Military raid." "This time they found him." "This time they knew where to look." "Shit!" "Bullet in the head." "Tell me something." "Do you know how to use one of these things?" "Let's make a picture." "That signal will be sent when you vote tomorrow." "Vote Christian Democrat." "...and the Friendship Program will proceed." "Vote Christian Democrat." "...and see your country rise to prosperity!" "You hear them?" "I think they're ready for you." "What?" "You nervous?" "I'm fine." "Get out there." "Knock 'em dead." "I'll give it a try." "Thank you." "Thank you." "Samboco sisters." "Say, Pete." "Yeah?" "Any news on Joe Black?" "Fifth Army guy, sure." "He'll be on his way back home by now, safe and sound." "Thanks." "That's what I wanted to hear." "It's nothing." "And now, ladies and gentlemen..." "I give you Orson Welles, The Great Orsini... who has graced our shores to heal the heart." "...that has been broken by the incomparable Rita Hayworth." "My beautiful assistant Stella!" "The Great Orsini, huh?" "Now, if you could cook those things put them on a table with a fine bottle of wine, I'd be impressed." "Signor Cava, please, come up." "Oh, no." "He's gonna drag some poor innocent Italian into the act." "Or maybe not so innocent." "Who knows?" "Easy, fella." "You're showing your roots." "Fascist." "You see, it's all about diversion and subterfuge." "They get you looking one way." "while they pull off some devilish deception somewhere else." "A last cigarette." "Why not?" "T ake the Yankee cigarette, take the Yankee candy." "For what the Yanks will take from you ain't quite so doodle dandy." "Democracy and Friendship." "Or is it smoke and mirrors?" "For I could tell you tales of villainy so dire of lies and murder done beneath the banner of freedom." "And one such shocking tale indeed I'll tell." "...of an evil pact committed to destruction." "And of a warehouse crammed with guns and ammunition." "T onight, beneath the stars beneath the stars and stripes." "And it begins." "...in T ombolo." "So, where are these guns?" "Not one of your better tricks, Mr. Hayworth." "Damn!" "We should go." "Need a ride back to town, Mr. Welles?" "I have a car." "Oh, but I insist." "Mr. Welles, please." "Where are you taking him?" "I'll be fine." "You lied to me, every step of the way." "I was trying to take care of you, Orson." "Like you took care of Joe, huh?" "What, you'd rather we hand this place over to Stalin on a fucking plate, is that it?" "Forgive me, I didn't know it was ours to hand." "Pete, you're backing the guys we were at war with three years ago." "Not ideal, but it's all there is." "You need to see the big picture." "This is not about Italy." "This thing is worldwide." "...and it's a major threat to freedom a major threat to democracy." "No one wants the Communists in power." "Except maybe the people." "Don't you think they should decide?" "No." "No." "No!" "You want I should waste him?" "How you'll explain that?" "I'm an American citizen, for Christ's sake." "Pull over." "No!" "No!" "You call yourself American?" "Listen, he's just another name on that list." "I say we waste them." "Let the Reds take the rap." "You got something to say about that, Mr. Welles?" "Something smart?" "Christ, Pete, stop him!" "You gotta stop him." "I don't have to stop anything." "You heard what he said." "You're just a name on a list." "How can we possibly shoot you." "when you played such a sterling part for Uncle Sam?" "You know that list?" "When we first planted it and you made such a big splash with it in the press... well, it was more than I could've hoped." "You know the best part?" "Originally, you weren't even on the list." "You know why?" "You're not that important." "You were kind of an afterthought." "You're not worth the bullet, Mr. Welles." "Don't judge me." "The war never stopped, it just went underground." "And we simply have to win." "Now it's all about sacrifices and whether you're tough enough to make them." "Maybe you made too many, Pete." "I remember when you had a soul, not just a job." "You're entitled to your opinion." "It's a free country." "Fuck you, Orson." "Fuck you, Pete." "Is he bad?" "I mean, how is he?" "Great Orsini." "How are you feeling?" "Only pain." "I'm sorry." "You should be." "Fucking Americans." "Crazy Italians." "I came to say goodbye." "Going home?" "Wherever that is." "I'm-I'm sorry." "Oh, no, Tomasso." "I'm-I'm..." "I'm sorry..." "I cannot drive you to the airport." "Next time." "Next time." "Quite a fellow." "Not too bad yourself." "Italy needs more men like him." "Orson, I..." "And so do you." "Very gallant, Orson." "You think you know what's good for me?" "You son of a bitch, you know nothing about me." "You spoke to my mother?" "Yes." "And you believed her?" "She admitted it." "She confessed." "She always was a great actress." "What?" "What do you mean?" "I saw the rushes." "I can understand your mistake." "I mean, you say yourself how much alike we are." "And anyone can wear a mask." "It was Alessandro turned my father over as a Jew." "It was Alessandro had him killed." "My mother and me, you see, we both have a motive." "What a good daughter you are." "Yes." "Maybe." "One who avenged her father's death." "Who knows?" "Do you want me to tell you the truth?" "Is that what you want?" "No." "Don't spoil it." "And what in the end did I do?" "I made a crummy picture, and not a lot of difference." "It's not as if things would've been any better had the Communists got in." "Same shit, as my pal would say, different flies." "Still, one hell of a trip." "So that just about wraps it up." "And when people ask me if all this was true... well, like I say if you're looking for facts, pick up the history book." "Just be sure to check who wrote it."