"A FREE WOMAN" "This is not what I wanted." "My life has been ruined in one moment." "Look at yourself, Liana." "That's your poor and tired face, with drawn traits." "An aged face." "Yet such a short time has passed away since you felt young, ready to fight, determined to protect your freedom at any cost." "Keep still." "I like you when resembling your portrait." "Say, what if the portrait actually resembled you?" "What if I admitted to you that photographer is not my job?" "Got it?" "I'm striving to stick a soul on behind this face, nice for sure, but inexpressive at all... and the poor thing wants a picture." "Solange, don't pour vermouth in a toothpaste glass please, unless that's a matter of principle for you." "My principles suggest me to buy tights, not glasses." "These days of idiots." "Disowning such a son." "Who do you mean?" " You, of course, it's clear." "Do not worry." "Apocalypse will take care of justice." "Yes!" "Apocalypse!" "When all the world will be painted red and blue and only yellow will be safe!" "Liana, why aren't you yellow too?" "You'd be safe like my paintings." "Bah...expose your shoulders a bit!" "The last thing left is to trust your precious anatomy in order to save a portrait with no yellow." "Van Gogh, immortal Van Gogh, look what the heir of your colours is reduced to!" "The best of your sons!" "Speaking of sons." "Bring your father and mother to the exhibit." "I need audience." "Are you crazy?" "My father could drop dead looking at me half-naked in a show." "I'll bring Fernando." " Fine." "Why?" "Won't your future husband be upset by such things?" "In my behalf he may be affected in any way." "Uh, you don't seem to be love blind!" "I have had enough to live just like the others wish." "I want to do like you, who are free and have no keeper." "And to be able to inflect the "love" verb freely." "I love you, you love me, we love each other a bit less, we no longer love each other." "Goodbye and let's change the subject." "I don't think that the two of you have already come to this point." "That's why Solange has found me." "An ideal partner for a writer like her, since by no means I'm giving her that calmness and security that would bother her while working." "My job is to write on a movies magazine that Martine Carol likes tapioca with vinegar and Gina Lollobrigida loves estragon soup." "Estragon soup?" "What's an estragon soup?" "Boiled meat with umbrellas." " Hello Liana." "Hi Solange." " How disgusting!" "It's for free." " Thanks." "A poster for the fall campaign." "Do you like it?" " I'll buy a raicoat." "You'll be wrong." "Enough with being the raincoat victims." "Be back to the age of umbrellas!" "Close it!" "Brings bad luck!" " No, good luck!" "Oh!" " Give me!" "Come!" " No!" "Wretch, give me that umbrella!" "Is this Liana?" " The real Liana." "The unknown Liana who has opened her wings, ready to face all the trials of life." "Maybe but you won't make a portrait of my wife." "Agreed, but buy a small painting at least." "No." " Not even a very small one?" "Your paintings disgust me." "So I'll have one painting with "sold" tag at least at the show!" "No!" " Stinker." "You're a mean huckster." "Guys, it's five pm." "Let's go to the station, Fernando's coming." "Yes, let's go." "Come on, get ready." " I'll change in a minute." "Liana?" "Hello, guys." "All of you here." "How did things go?" " Bad for you, engineer." "You've a colleaugue in the family even before you get married." "Congratulations, architect!" "Thanks, my dear." "What a pity that you weren't present at the academic defence." "It was tremendous." " It was a real miracle." "So we have to celebrate this event." "They're waiting for us!" "Hurry up guys, mom and dad have invited our relatives and the entirety of our aunts." "Maybe you'll find out a wife." " Oh, you stupid!" "In this case Court of Appeals can do nothing but confirm the first verdict." "Court of Cassation only can decide about law interpretation." "And that poor creature who only stole is considered as a murderer because his pal killed the watchman." "Complicity, dear lady." "Complicity." "Let's celebrate her degree." "It's six pm and invites are waiting." "Keep calm." "Maybe Fernando's train is late." " Dad?" " Later, not now." "Don't worry, Augusto." "She'll be here soon." "Good evening to everybody." "Sorry for being late." "Hello dad." " Finally Liana!" " Hello mom." "How long you kept me waiting." "Congratulations, Liana!" " Thanks." "Come on guys, let's introduce yourselves!" "Forget to be formal!" "Manners are missing." "At my age..." "Yes, sure, dad...at your age." "My dear, did you remember to get the diploma?" "No, I was late." "I had no time." "The administrative office was already closed." "And I was so much keen on it." "Oh..." "I'll get it." "Doubt not." "Nobody will take it away from me at this point." " Come." "Look what I have prepared." "Oh." " Do you like the frame?" "Wonderful." "I'd say that it's even too much for that piece of paper." "Oh no." " Sergio, will you make a nice painting as we want?" "I'd put the frame for sale." "You know, mom, facts are really important." "I'm an architect." "Diploma or not, let's drink to this degree." "With a sincere wish let's drink to this architect and to the new architecture!" " Thanks!" "Mom, dad." "Is this for me?" " My apologies." " You're welcome." " You're welcome, Leonora." "Would you drink with me?" " No, no, you drink." "Let's not forget the colleaugues..." " Oh, my apologies." "Take it." " Well, when will this wedding be celebrated?" "Ah, soon, very soon." " We're waiting for an announcement." "Cheers." " Fernando's actually making himself a bargain." "He's getting married and acquiring a precious help for his work." "Speaking of business!" " No!" "I'll never go to your exhibit." "Hurry up!" "They're going to open." " Here." "I'm finished." "Come on, Michele, make up your mind." " This one." "This has some nice chromatic qualities." "Yes." "That's fine." "I'll throw it on an attic after all." "Sure." "Where mouses will destroy the millions it'll be worth in a few years!" "Fernando?" " I'm furious with him." "He has been committed a work just today." "I've just sold a painting to Michele." " Really?" "Look, Liana." "I've put you in a place of honor." "If I had known that before, I'd have not come." "Look out!" "The critics!" " Excuse me!" "Come on, quick, go!" "Good morning." " What an attitude, this painter!" "Can you tell me who is, my dear?" " Wait." "I think Sergio Rollini." "Oh...it's amazing." " Wonderful." "Only in your paintings there's such a contrast of..." " Pardon!" "...colours!" " And the hue of colours!" "The play of volumes!" "Oh!" "Let's go." " Go, go!" "Thanks." "He promised to talk about it on his newspaper." "It's not that he cares about that, anyway..." "Are you the artist?" " Yes." "Did you make them all?" " Yes, I did." "Cogratulations." " Excuse me, are you a critic?" "No." " So thanks." "I'm sorry, but press awaits me." "I have to go." "Ah Liana, please." "This gentleman is an expert." "Will you make him feel at ease?" "Thanks." "Guys, let's go, this painting is already sold." "We're not interested." "Are you a painter too?" "Yes." "So, it's my way." "I'm an architect." " Ow." "And...did you already see the other rooms?" " No." "Won't you go with me?" "I think that it's a genre of painting a bit aggressive for only a person." "Surely, but..." " Your friends have something else to do." "Are you really interested in painting?" "In confidence, I was late for a date at the opposite bar here and when I arrived there was nobody." "So you entered here." "I'm clearly late for painting as well." "Well...but... do you know that this picture is a bit complicated for me too?" "What's up?" "I was thinking of you." "I was trying to understand how and what it is." "Don'be trying too much." "I'm an ordinary middle-class girl graduated in architecture." "Ow...so you must have already made a nice plan for the future... by precise lines!" " Sure." "For example, I'm engaged." "With the painter?" "Sergio?" "No!" "A workmate of mine." "An engineer." "I see." "A serious thing?" "Of course." "Since more than two years." "Two years?" "That's not a serious thing." " Why?" "If he were the man of your life, he'd not have let you await so long." "Well...maybe there're some reasons." "When you love someone, there are no other reasons." "It seems that you want me to be on a trial and we have just meet." "You're right." "My apologies." "Why are you telling such things if you don't know anything..." "about me and my life?" "The painting has helped me to know you better, so to say." "Cajkovskij used to say about himself:" ""Regret the past, trust the future, never be satisfied with the present!"" "Do you think that I'm the same too?" "Can you see?" "It's an order." " An order?" "That one!" "Exit!" "Come on, let's go!" " No, I have to say hello to my friends first." "Ah...sometimes you need to be able to displease your friends!" "It's nice here." "Do you like it?" "If I like it?" "I do live here." " Where?" "In one of these houses." " Ah!" "Do you know that you're a strange guy?" " Why?" "You talk about love in a certain way!" "Maybe it's why I like women so much and I don't like to see them suffer." "It's hard to talk about a neverending love or it's easy to talk about but it's hard to find out." "Until you find the woman who you'll never part from." "Ow!" "I thought that you spoke so." "Each woman is convinced to be different from the other ones, to be able to make the miracle that the other ones couldn't make." "But I was not talking about me." " Ow, sure, of course." "I believe in a love which won't last for more than eight days." "After that it can be nothing but routine or obstinacy." "I feel sorry for you." "Anyway you're a monster." "Ow!" " I finally got who you look like." "I've been asking myself about it for a hour." " Really?" "Who do I look like?" "Gerardo Villabruna, the orchestra conductor." "Of course, it's me!" " What?" "Can you see that terrace?" " Yes." "Of course you will never dare to go up there and see what's behind." "Why, excuse me?" "So." "Because you're too middle-class, aren't you?" "You're not such kind of person." "Ow!" "Why?" "Is there a particular kind of person who wants to know what's behind over there?" "Ow, you know...there's really not so much special!" "Most of all a big mess and then a lot of music and a glass of whisky." "But I well know that my invitation is scaring you." "I'm afraid of nothing." "So all the better." "Of course I won't tell that you're the first woman to come in here." "I've never had doubts about that." "I assure you that I was never so excited though." "Did you furnish this studio?" "Yes, why?" "Because it coincides exactly with what you told me about yourself." "About me?" "But I didn't tell you anything." "And if I'm not mistaken, so far we've been talking only about you and your marriage." "Exactly." "Aren't you interested in knowing what I think of you?" "No." "Listen, I was just kidding." "And if you like to get married, go ahead and get married...and let's no longer talk about that." "Very kind of you." "Anyway I must tell you that also I think the same as you." "Thanks." "What is it?" "A recording of my last concert." "The sixth by Cajkovskij." "The Pathétique." "You're the only person who can express what I have been always thinking and what everyone has been friendly censuring." "Maybe because they don't understand." "How come are you so different?" "Can you hear this music?" "I must live for it." "So I can't be tied with a woman." "How can I be satisfied with only a person when I talk to a lot of people thanks to my music?" "And when, to be what I am," "I have to love all of them at the same way." "Freedom..." "I don't know what it is and I don't care about that." "I'd change my life only if I were a failure, if I noticed that I cannot tie to me all the people," "who use to listen to me." "What?" "Are you already leaving?" "Yes, it's late." "I hope you'll come to my next radio concert." "Gladly." "I'll hold two seats for you." "Then come and visit me at my dressing room." "No, you've to welcome your fans for congratulations." "I'm afraid to meet too many fans there." " So come back here." "No." " Why?" "I need not to do some imprudences twice." "See you at the concert." "I was waiting for you just to tell that tension is high." "Fernando left half a hour ago in a very bad mood." "Oh, you know, too bad for him." "It's his fault." "He had to join me at Sergio's show." "Good evening mom." "Good evening dad." "Do you happen to think that you live in a hotel?" "Oh dad, you keep on telling always the same things." "Excuse me." "A hour has passed away." "I don't think this is a crime." "Until you stay here, please respect my time and my habits." "You do nothing but to set bad examples to your sister." "You had to think that there was Fernando." "Your behaviour has made him very sad." "Fernando well knew that today there was Sergio's show." "Actually he freed of his tasks to come and pick you up." "He didn't find you." " But dad..." "No, do not tell me anything." "You'd tell me some lies." "Giovanna." "Miss, would you like to eat something?" "They're unfair with you." "No." "They're right this evening." "That's not true, you know?" "You never set bad examples to me." "Just the opposite." "I love your courage." "I wish I were like you when I'll be adult." "No, keep on being like that." "It will be better." "Now go to bed." "It's late." "Look!" "Do you like it?" "Did mom buy this stuff for you?" "Mom?" "I didn't show her." "I made it by myself to go to the sea next Sunday." "But since things have gotten ugly..." "I'm afraid that they won't let me go." "Do not worry." "I'll fix everything so that you can go." "Thanks Liana." "Liana?" "What's up?" "But...do you really love Fernando?" "He's a good boy." "I've asked if you love him." "These are things that you cannot still understand." "Instead I understand very well that you'll get married for..." " Please!" "Do not tamper with my business as well." "Go to bed now." "Here...done!" " Will you come and have a drink together with us?" " Sure." "I bought six flasks of a good wine at the inn!" " Not many." "Go and buy other ones." " Oh, but you'll see that they will build a twisted roof with such a plenty of wine." " You're right, Mario!" "Who would have thought that..." " Come on, guys!" "...we were finished so quickly, engineer, don't you?" "Tell the truth!" "Come on, guys!" "Get down!" "I'll reach you soon." "What are you doing hidden here?" "I saw that you were head of the ceremony." "I preferred to wait for you." "What's happened?" "Why?" "No...nothing." "I was curious to see the building." "You stopped in front of the door of our future house." "Fernando... do you really think that we could be happy together?" "I mean... forever." " Of course." "Why?" "Do you have some doubts?" "No." "But I'd like to know what makes you so sure." "Excuse me, my dear, but it's clear!" "We've been always in love with each other since the world exists." "If the two of us don't get to know each other..." " Please, no kidding." "I'm not kidding at all." "If then I may be kidding, well, I'll tell you that our love seems to me made by concrete... just like this house." "Are you more relaxed now?" "Obviously." "You're making everything too simple." " No, my dear." "Things are actually simple." "Do we love each other?" "So what are we looking for?" "I'm never able to talk to you." "But can you tell me what's up with you?" "What do you want me to say?" "That I don't love you?" "If you like, I'll tell you, but it's not true." "Ok." "You love me." "Got it." "But do you think this is everything?" "That I don't need anything else?" "Ecuse me, but I don't understand." "But do you ever happen to take care to know about what I'm thinking, except that you love me and I love you?" "About how I am?" "About my ambitions?" "And have you climbed the stairs up to here to ask me for that?" "What do you want us to talk about?" "About love and concrete all the times?" "Listen, Liana... it seems to me that you're thinking enough of these things even by yourself, better, let me say to you: "Think of that a bit less and you'll be much more relaxed"." "Let's go and say hello to him." " No, really..." "I use to devote night hours to my work, no exceptions at all." "Not even for Sergio?" " Not even for Sergio." "You go instead." "Going there alone bothers me." "Come on, don't be hypocritical Liana!" "You know very well that you came here having clearly in mind to see him." "Thanks." "I owe you this success." "I didn't feel like conducting this evening but... but you were in the music hall so..." "Did you see me?" " No, but..." "I knew you were in." "Let's go." "Where?" " Let's go." "You had told me that you'd have no more come back here but..." "I couldn't stay without you." "Didn't you think that you could even displease me?" "I thought that you'd have never known." "Anyway if it's a thing which you don't like at all, it can be fixed." "When are you going to get married?" " Next week." "It'll be my wedding present." "Unless you're not afraid to show yourself to your husband with that personality." "It's Sergio who has conceived me so." "Also I think the same as him." "If you want, the painting will be at your home tomorrow." "No hurry at all." "I'm in hurry instead." "I signed a commitment for a tour abroad and tomorrow I'm leaving for Amalfi." "I've got a house there." "I'll get prepared in calm and solitude." "So this may be the last time we meet." "I've got a thing here that you may be interested in." "A survey about girls like you who are going to get married." "Here!" "5 points are scored when the answer to the question is affirmative, 0 points when it's negative." "First question." "Does your boyfriend stand for the ideal kind of man you'd choose for a great love movie?" "Oh...not at all." " Zero." "Second question." "It'd bother you if your boyfriend tried to get in advance what is granted to him by custom only after marriage?" "It depends." "I might even slap him." "Third question." "Would you throw yourself out the window if you came to know that your boyfriend has not been always faithful during the period before marriage?" "How stupid questions." "So it's clear." " What?" "Aren't you aware that you're going to commit a real crime against yourself?" "Let's talk about something else please." "You've got all what it takes in order to be indipendent, nature, intellect, a job you like." "Beauty." "Another means given to women to manage and shape their destiny." "Nevertheless you're choosing the most trivial solution." "So is marriage only for a stupid or ugly woman?" "Even before knowing what life is, you're sacrificing your life for a man who will behave as if he had married a bimbo." "What do you know about?" "For a man... which you don't even love." "So what should I do?" "To listen to nobody but yourself." "To face up to life." "To be a free woman." "I'm convinced that if I proposed you to go to your father tomorrow morning and ask him to marry you,... you'd fall into my arms at once." "No, Gerardo." " Yes, instead." "But if I asked you to be alone and responsible of your actions by yourself, if I told you: "Liana..." "let's leave for Amalfi together tomorrow morning"," "I'd be nothing but a vulgar man to be avoided." "No, it's not true." "Train for Amalfi is leaving tomorrow morning at eight am." "No!" "Do you know what time is it?" "A common one." "When respectable people are not on the streets." "Whatever I told you, it'd be a lie for you." "You find me guilty." "You'd sentence me anyway!" " Enough, Liana!" "Yes!" "Enough, dad!" "But try to understand that morals never respected time." "All the hours are good not to be a respectable girl, when you want." "I don't know who stops me from clapping you!" "Do it!" "It's easy." "What are you doing here?" "Go to bed." "Where are you going?" "Let me talk to her." "Please." "You have to understand your father." "I understand him." "Eight days before your marriage." "That's a tragedy." "Yes, I'm afraid to be mistaken." "Not to love Fernando." "And are you aware of that now?" "When we're waiting for nothing but that day." "When everything is ready." "Even the veil." " Yes." "Which also I wore once upon a time." "And your mother before you." "All the women from the family wore it, I know." "All of them were happy." "You too?" "Sure." "So, tell me, Liana, what do you think happiness is?" "Since me and your father got married, we've always been united and" "I've been feeling well-protected." "Is this all your happiness?" "No, mom... to get married only in order to insure your own future," "not to have to be afraid, is like committing suicide." "What are you saying?" "Because I realize what you have forgotten or you've always been afraid to think of." "I don't want to let myself go like a thing of no significance." "I'm more important!" "What do you think you know about life if, since you married dad, you have nothing but his personality and you cannot see further than the end of your nose!" "Ah no, listen, don't take this liberty!" "You're right, mom." "I'm wrong because I speak too much." "But I want you to trust me, to confide in me!" " Ah, it's hard, you know..." "You saw that too." "World changes and ideas too." "And maybe at the heart it's me that... nothing, let's no longer talk about that." "Ah, no, no, no, no." "We have to talk about that, sure!" "But don't you realize you're telling some foolish things, some huge foolish things!" "Well...you, dad and Fernando leave me alone!" "Are you happy?" "I love you." "Say it again." "Why?" "Because you don't have to give too much importance to what I'm saying, even if it's the truth, just like now." "Why are you running away?" "No...no!" "Gerardo?" " Yes?" "It's wonderful to live with you." "Like you." "It's like if until today I couldn't have seen things all around." "I used to go through near them without realizing that they have their own life." "Do you think that's because I'm in love that I see everything so nice?" "I don't know, but it's sure that I'd be very sad without you." "And do you think that it can last forever?" "It depends on how long you mean with "forever"." "I'm starting to think that you're afraid to be in love and you're defending yourself." "And I'm starting to think that you want to reason too much about things." "Do we go and have a breakfast?" "Oh!" "Liana?" "Hello Liana." "Good morning, miss Angeli." "How are you?" " Good morning Liana." "Good morning, lawyer." "What a nice surprise." "Have you just arrived today?" "No, I've been here since a few days." " And do you live here in the hotel?" "No." "Well, we'll keep company with each other the same." "We'll come and see you." "Is your family at Amalfi too?" " No." "I'm alone." "Very well, my dear." "We don't hold you." "You may go." "Goodbye madam and sir." " Goodbye, my dear." "Hello Liana." "Who they are?" "Some friends of my family." "Do you mind?" "No." "No." "It had to happen sooner or later." "Listen... today we're going to Ravello." "There's a villa where Wagner composed "Parsifal"." "It'll be nice to visit it together." "Good morning, maestro." "Please, madam." "Are you composing?" "Yes." "What's up?" "Mail." "Ok." "Take it out." "Gerardo?" "I love what you were playing." "Do you mind if I stay here to listen to?" "It's strange... it's so nice that I feel like I have already listened to it." "This is what you have already listened to!" "It's Chopin!" "It's almost the same, isn't it?" "Did you say there's mail?" "Yes." "It's there." "Do they come from fans?" "Most of all from female fans." "And I have a lot of female fans." "I'm sorry I've disturbed you." "But I love you, Gerardo." "I couldn't imagine to become so happy." "May I?" "It's from my manager." "The concert at Salzburg is for the 15th of the month." "I'm asked for arranging a date for rehearsal." " Already?" "My dear...it has been month since we're here and I don't work." "I hope...you won't blame this on me all the life long." "So when are we leaving?" "I'm leaving tomorrow." "You, whenever you like." "Don't..." "Don't I leave together with you?" "Excuse me, my dear, but maybe we haven't understood each other." "We have had a great time together." "A nice dream." "But it was clear that sooner or later we'd have awakened in order that we can think of our jobs respectively." "Got it." "So is it already over?" "When I work I must be alone, you know it." "I guess that you didn't rise up against marriage to search...the same slavery close to another man?" "You've wanted to be free." "Hence you're free." "I promised you nothing more." "It's fair." "The both of us are mold in the same cast." "Me and you are not common people." "We need an intense life and the unforeseen." "This doesn't mean that our ways will no longer cross." "Who knows that maybe one day we'll find the charm occurred at Amalfi again somewhere in the world." "Of course." "END OF FIRST PART" "SECOND PART" "All of this is not even literature." "It's just awfully romantic." "You were turning yourself around a thing which doesn't exist." "That is, your suffering does exists, but... but the rest..." " How cannot you understand?" "I'm striving to understand." "Listen!" "That I've been loving or not in my life, this matters little and then it doesn't concern you, but... but if I'm suffering, I try to find a way to leave it behind." "No!" "You...you're easily satisfied of your work." "I wish it was enough to me too." "No, you're wrong." "It's not possible for you." "Why is it not possible?" " Because you're not the kind." "Your work will be never everything for you." "Here it is!" "I have the letter." "Ny friend told me that Bourdé is a well known architect in Paris and he will be able to engage you for sure." "Thanks Sergio." " Don't mention it." "Ah, you can even keep on chatting." "You're not disturbing me at all." "Do not try to make me change my mind." "I know I'm right." "You've asked me for my opinion and I'm telling you." "You want to achieve freedom through loneliness withdrawing into yourself." "Well, I don't think this is a way fit for you." "It's a kind of very pricey freedom and I don't think that you can pay such a big price." "I think so." "We cannot throw away all the things which bother us in their entirety." "Something always sticks around." "That's why I want to live abroad." "Only in a country where nobody knows you, where everyone doesn't speak your language, you can be enough alone to get rid of everything" "and start all over again." "It's a solution...as well as to come back home." "And even to make it up with Fernando...isn't it?" "Provided he has such a little spine to agree to." "Why not?" "He's a good boy." "Indeed!" "And he's exactly what prevents me from living as I like." "Damn!" " What's up now?" "I have got my shoes dirty by paint." "Well, if it's not really a matter of pride for you..." "What does pride have to do with it?" " All the better." "After all you have the right to try." "So, Liana, you may leave." "Solange has given you permission." "Solange could keep calm." "I paid a big price for the freedom I wanted." "My job in the architect's office was to copy drawings by others and I used to earn just the money to pay a poor small room." "Good morning, sirs." " Good morning." "The final design has been approved by the city commission." "Let's start to estabilish a design for interiors." "Let me know quickly when they are ready and send details to promotion office." "If I know Rome?" "In 1934 I was awarded the "Prix de Rome" for architecture." "It was so worth." "For twenty years I've been doing nothing but drawings for other people and my only building was a kiosk for newspapers." "Leave it here." " Ah...maybe because you love a bit much...pernod!" "No." "Pernod came later." "Not to think too much." "At university I had a fellow student." "He was a dunce and didn't even complete his studies." "I was destined to glory instead." "Now he's Fegret..." "Christiane Fegret!" "And me?" "I'm here." "Fegret?" "Who is Fegret?" "Ah, that's funny!" "I can imagine his face if he were aware that there's someone who doesn't know him!" "By the way... do you want me to introduce him to you?" "Well, if..." " Maybe he can do something for you." "Fegret...it's the Fegret bank!" "the one supporting the construction companies of the new buildings at Bois de Boulogne." "Yes, yes, yes...he can do something for you, if he wants." "And now that you talked to me about your work we can go dinner together..." "I don't know... we can go to Montmartre, at Saint-Germain, at Bois." " Ah no." "This evening I'm really very tired." "Dunno...you're very tired but we have to talk." "We can go to...to Bois, it's more peaceful." "I can come to your office tomorrow." "To my office." "Oh...my God!" "I have to receive fifty people and this evening I've told a lot of people to go to hell in order to go out with you." "Here." "Those are the apartment houses we're building." "A business more than three billions of Francs worth." "The design we talked about just fits in this area." "I think that two huge pourings of reinforced concrete could join the buildings" "just like an arc, got it?" "It's a real pity to see a nice mouth like yours speaking such brutal words." "Let's talk seriously." "The only thing I'm looking for is a job." "I wish I could help you in your job but for some more important things, because I don't like to see a beautiful woman looking for a job when there're some haute coutures full of dressing tables ready for you... and jewellery into the shop windows at Rue de la Paix." "Well... you could ask me for helping you in whatever, you have only to say one word." "That...of course I'd have to say to you and possibly this evening." "Think for a while." "You're the very definition of spring." "Anything cannot be denied you." "And I have a lot of architects." "Old, young, bearded, with glasses." "But why do you want to mix up with them?" "Will you stop please?" "Do you want to get off?" "I didn't mean to hurt you." "You're free." "Right." "Free to say no to you." "Luck is passing you by and you let it go." "One can find such chances everywhere." "No, no...you're wrong." "Good evening gentlemen." " Good evening Jules." "Good evening boss." "A glass of white wine." "A coffee with cream, please, and a brioche." "Ok, madam." "So did you find your wallet?" "Yes, under a pillow, while cleaning up my car." "See?" "I told you." "So what, now?" "Ernesto, pour me two glasses of brandy." "Old chap, it was so hot." "Come on, this one is on me." "Who is?" " It's me." "Hello!" " Oh, Michele!" "It has taken a long time to find you." "I've been looking for you since yesterday." "You know, I've changed many home addresses." "Have a seat." " Thanks." "What are you doing here in Paris?" " What do you want me to do?" "You know that I sell umbrellas." "I'm here for a big deal." "Instead it seems to me that here..." "A hard time to ride out." "How is Annamaria?" " Very well." "She's just rabid because I didn't bring her with me." "What about things at my home?" " Well...they're lingering on." "Leonora becomes a woman every day more." "And my mom?" "Well, you know...her heart is a bit weary but now she's fine." "And...what do they say about me?" "Me and Annamaria believed to your letters, all full of lies." ""That's all well and good"" ""I earn very good money", "I've a small lovely flat"" "and instead..." "I'm well even this way." "And now please go with me to the office... or I'll be late." " Gladly." "Do we have a breakfast together?" "I've just half a hour at midday." "This evening, if you want." "No, this evening I can't." "I've already a date with a friend." "No, better, very well." "I've just got a wonderful idea." "Which one?" "Listen to me carefully..." "Oh...excuse me, I'm late." "Of course you're late, as always naturally." "I'm sorry." " Please, Michele." "Introduce me instead." "Commendator Massimo Marchi." " Nice to meet you." " I've touched over to the commendatore..." "No, forget "commendatore"." " Nice to meet you." "Marchi is a tycoon of the marine industry." "In short he's for ships what I'm for umbrellas." "Do you build ships?" " No, I make them navigate." "A pernod to start?" " Yes." " Gladly." "Well, as to the work..." " No, let's talk about business later." "I'd suggest to go for dinner first of all." "My own Rome is a bit special." "Ciampino" " Ministry, Ministry" " Ciampino soon will be the only places I'll remember about Rome." "It's basically a brilliant life, full of satisfactions." "No, not brilliant at all, on the contrary, full of hitches." "It might be so until I was young" "But now, at my age, being all the time in a hurry for work... living in a hotel, eating out, with no house..." "A house?" "And your villa in Rome?" " Indeed." "I've got a villa in Rome." "Michele bought it for me." " An excellent bargain." "Yes, a bargain, as he says, but I didn't see it yet." "And do you trust that seller of umbrellas for your business?" "He does." "No, I bought it for a sentimental matter too." "Why?" "So." "Thinking that one day I'd have stopped there." "And since I'm lucky, here's the ideal architect for its interior design." "Because I've been always thinking that women are the most apt to furnish a house." "So, agreed?" "It'd need to be discussed." " Let's talk about it right now." "Tomorrow I'm leaving for New York and I'll be back after two months." "Yes, but will you have to approve the projects at least?" "Already approved!" "Carte blanche through and through." "Agreed." "Well, I don't know if I deserve so much trust." "The best deals I made are the ones based on trust." "Upon trust I got the worst ripoffs." "Michele." "Ah...fine." "I'm trying to recover the same dyes of the old one." "If you devoted to fakes, you'd become a millionaire." "Great idea!" "They say that there're only 300 original paintings by Raphael, and at least 2000 of them are only in America." "Also I could pass around some." "Look here." "I thought to place two rows of colums here to divide the space." "What about this?" "You know what?" "Since they pay, they are right indeed." "Miss, may you have a look at the border of awnings for the office?" "There's this one...or another one lighter." "But..." "I think that this is good." "As you like." "Come on, have a try." "Will you decide once and for all?" "Leonora must be at home at this time." "Hello?" "Hello?" "Who's there?" "It was dad." "Leonora?" "Liana!" " Hello, my dear." "Annamaria told me about your coming back, but since you didn't look for me, I thought that you didn't want to see me anymore." "What a bizarre idea." "Who are you looking for?" " Dad often comes and gets me." "They never let me come back home alone." "It's better that we go that way." "Dad never goes this way." "Isn't he at the courthouse at this time?" "No, since mom is sick..." "Is mom sick?" "What's up with her?" "Angina pectoris." "But she feels better now." "But does she heal herself at least?" "The doctor says that it's useless to bother her with cures, so they give her a painkiller when aches are too heavy." "What are you doing?" "Well..." "I have a lot of work." " Are you happy?" "One has not to be too much picky." "You know, we never talk about you at home..." "As if you no longer existed." "You did well to leave though." "You're too different from us." "But I want to see mom again, got it?" "You know them." "You'd see mom in secret." "She tells everything to dad." "Unless..." " Unless?" "Every evening mom goes to the church for the rosary." "Oh..." "Liana!" " Mom!" "My dear Liana, how are you?" "Why?" "Never a written line during all this time." "Oh mom..." "I, how can I say..." "I couldn't stay without seeing you again." "And dad?" " Dad?" "Oh, he's not evil." "But also he, you know, with his own ideas..." "I see, mom." " What's your job now?" "Where do you live?" "I've got my job." "My job only." "No, wait!" "When will I see you again?" "Whenever you want, mom." " Yes." "Leonora will let you know." "Do not call at home though." "It's better." "Sure, mom." "Oh...is it you?" "Did you have a good journey?" " Yes, I did, thanks." "See!" "I was taking a picture of my work." "Work is over and I wanted to preserve a memory of it." "So is this your home?" " As you can see,..." "I made it according to my taste, as you said." "A modern house with old furniture." "I must confess that I wouldn't have ever thought to find a house so..." "Yes, so!" "I tried to create a pleasant..." "atmosphere." "Of course you will need many other things." "Ah...most of all the courage of leaving my hotel room." "You know, I never had a house of mine and now that I see it ready and finished, I have to get used to, it's not easy." "And did you ever make a design for your own house?" " No." "It'd be a very difficult project." "I think that you have put a lot of yourself here in." "I'm afraid that I'll be always feeling like a guest here." "So I was completely mistaken in this case." "No, no, no, on the contrary." "But when I'll be here alone I think that I'll realize that I was not only missing a house." "I'm sure that you'll feel the perfect master in a very few days." "Ah...there're other pieces of furniture that I'd choose together with you." "We could go and have a look at antique dealers' shops." "Do you think that I'll be useful for you?" " Of course." "When shall we go?" " Whenever you like." "Tomorrow?" "Tomorrow." "Agreed." " Fine." " I'll call you then." "See you." " See you." "I'd have chosen it for dining room." "Do you like it?" " I think so." "It's a Dutch piece from eighteenth century." "The colours of East wood are a peculiarity of that style." "Lucky you who know the art of seeing beauty!" "Unfortunately it's a virtue which cannot be taught." "As well as the art of money making!" "Got me!" " Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." "No, just kidding... but I don't know if I'd dare to buy it without you." "Why?" " Because any of these objects, of these pieces of furniture was a witness of many other lifes." "It's not easy to know where and how to place them in order that they feel like really being in their own house." "See...that piece over there, for example..." "Very simple." "It'll be perfect between the two windows of the dining room." "It has the same style of the master." "Ah, do I have really a style?" " Sure." "And a very personal one." " I didn't expected that." "It's incredible how you can find in me things... which you only see." "No." "Anyone could see them." "Well, listen... maybe it'll seem hilarious to you... at my age a man always runs the risk of being ridiculous when talking about these things..." "I knew what he was going to tell me." "Almost scared I was waiting for that moment." "On the contrary when he talked according that goodness and simplicity which only Massimo had," "I felt that a big calm was growing up into myself." "I looked at him and I felt a lot of thankfulness for him and I felt like crying." "We got married in May." "Massimo looked like the most happy man in the world and I was peaceful too." "During the party at our big home there were my friends and perhaps they envied us." "Sugared almonds!" "Just today that we have decided to break up." "Don't believe him." "He'd become a dauber without me!" "Oh...how awful!" "May a bride be pursued?" " No." " Only in a few days." "Are you tired?" " No." "I'm so happy." "I've never been so happy." "Uh...the sugared almonds." "Excuse me a moment." " Please." " Listen." "Leonora?" "Are the suitcases on the car?" " Yes, sir." "And is there still something to drink over there?" " Sure, sir." "So bring together all the people here." "We're leaving." "What about our invites?" " They're drinking." "So let's go." "This way I started my honeymoon." "I went round the world." "One year." "One year of life together has already passed away." "I wish you knew how happy I'd like to make you, Massimo." "And it's unfair that you're not happy with all that you do for me." "I was mistaken once again." "I have nothing but respect for you and that's not enough, even if I relied on it to get rid of my loneliness." "I couldn't know that a loneliness in two is even more rueful." "Here it is." " Another journey again?" "Yes, tomorrow...and excuse me if I always make you prepare suitcases hastily." "What can I say?" "I'm used to by now." "We've been living this way for a year." "Yes, but this time the telegram calling me to Baltimora is addressed to you too." "To me?" " Yes." "Tanker to be launched will have "Liana" has its name." "Liana?" " Yes." "I want to be the first to congratulate the sponsor." "Why always these gifts?" "Because I still haven't found one worthy of you." "I'd like to find a failing in you, to have precisely something against you, instead your perfection forces me to tell me once again that all the evil comes from me, only from me," "because the wound I've got cannot be cured." "We have to call Sergio not to go to the party." "Why?" "Well...we're leaving tomorrow morning." "Oh...our flight is due to leave at 11 am." "We've all the time to go there, if you like it." "Uh..." "Sergio!" "Also you with that horror on your face!" "What the hell is that antiexistentialism?" "A new school of thought trying to capture the absolute rejecting the contingent, that is existence, to reach the being." "That's impossible, so one falls into the non being refusing to exist." "Have you got it?" " No, I haven't." " Not even me." "Are you sure that you're not drinking too much?" " Ah yes, it may be!" "Good evening Liana." "I'm happy to see you." "How are you?" "My husband." "The master Villabruna." "Just a hour ago I listened to your concert on the radio." "Will you have a seat together with us?" "Too kind of you." "You're with some friends..." "Sergio, will you let me dance?" " Gladly." "Let's go." "Excuse us." " Excuse us." "Have a seat." "Thanks." "I was lucky to find you here." "I was a bit confused by this atmosphere." "Indeed." "A strange one." "We're here for a happy coincidence too." "Evidently it was written in the book of destiny that we had to meet." "Was your tournée successful?" "Which one?" "But..." "Austria, Salzburg." "I had other ones later." "England, Paris, Baltimora..." "We're leaving for Baltimora tomorrow too." "Evidently it wasn't written in the book of destiny that we had to meet." "Just because we're always going around" "I didn't congratulate for your marriage." "Thanks." "After all it was impossible that a young lady like Liana Franci hadn't such a brilliant destiny." "Thank you." "And what about architecture...did you leave it?" "Yes, at all." "Of course." "A drawing table and structures of building sites are not for you." " That's what you think?" "You have to leave some things to those ugly women taking comfort in a struggle for an indipendence wich nobody wants to deny them." "Your friends are not back." "Please, excuse me with them." "Or not." "Sometimes you need to displease your friends, don't you?" "And who knows that one day our ways will cross again." "We wish so." "Good evening." " Good evening." "Good evening." "What's up with you?" " Ah, nothing." "I'm feeling very well." "If you feel tired, we can come back home." "No, on the contrary..." "I want to dance now." "Gladly." "Must we get old here?" "Taxi meter is on anyway, isn't it?" "Obviously." " And so we're getting old here." "I was sure that you'd have come." "Hello?" "Ah, is it you?" "Well, I couldn't respond inevitably." "I have come in now." "Just a moment, excuse me." "You were right." "I found it." "When will you husband be back?" "I'll send it to you sooner." "Sure that it'd be terrible." "Now you can go to bed, don't worry." "Sure!" "Good night." "I didn't imagine that you'd have come here but, as you can see, I have never left you." "So I was just like a lady of the house for all the women coming here to forget something." "I'm not an angel indeed." "And you're married too." "Is it better this way, isn't it?" "You're forgetting music." " Ah, sure!" "Brahms?" "No." "Igor Cajkovskij." " Ah, I remember!" "Are you leaving with your husband?" " No." "Fine." "So you're free again, just like I set you one day." "Maybe a bit too sharply." "But I swear that I've been waiting for you during these years." "What are you doing?" " I'm going away." "Why?" "Because I no longer love you." "So why did you follow me?" "I was not sure." "But now I'm." "And do you think that I let you leave this way?" "Don't make a fool of yourself, Gerardo!" "It was you to set me as a free woman." "And now I'm free to rate as poor the emotions wich some women are looking for when their husbands are travelling." "There're some things more important in my life." "I know." "Diamonds... furs..." "No." "You'll never understand." "You'll never be a great artist." "Now do you realize?" "You know nothing but to grab." "An artist has to give." "We've been looking for you everywhere." "Massimo, listen to me." "I'd like so much not to make you suffer but you've the right to know the truth." "I can no longer..." "Is it pointless to explain, isn't it?" "Do you know how they call women who behave like you?" "Do you care so much to tell me?" "You did everything to deserve it." "Liana?" "No." "Nothing." "Would passengers for next flight to Baltimora please check in." "The crew of flight number 275 is kindly requested to come to shunting office." "Can you tell me where are you going?" "To the hotel." "Why didn't you leave together with Massimo?" "I didn't want to." "So why don't you stay here?" "Oh my dear, how many questions!" "I don't want to answer." "Did you have words with him?" " No." "But I want to know." " To know what?" "When you came in, it was raining." "Now there's the sun." "You can also change your life so suddenly." "This concerns nobody but me!" "I wouldn't like that you were mistaken." "I know what I'm doing." "Bring me that dress, please." "Hello?" " Hello?" "I'd like to talk to madam Marchi." "Is it you, Liana?" "Hello?" "Hello?" "It's a client woman." "Sergio has no longer been choosing the subjects for some time, but instead the subjects are choosing him." "He's deeply discouraged for that." "So...will you keep on staying in a hotel?" "Maybe." "I don't know." "Massimo wrote that he leaves the house with me." "He says that I built it and he thinks that's fair so." "Who would expect?" "How classy." "Indeed!" "Everybody's wonderful." "It's only me to act up." "Excuse me but, even if I'm your friend, I can tell you..." " Forget it!" "...my opinion, can't I?" " All of you are right." "I know that's my fault." "I wanted to place Gerardo on a pedestal only because he approved all that I said." "I wanted to think of him as a God!" "And I considered myself so strong that I could marry Massimo without loving him," "only because I wanted not to give in." "It's pointless to complain, Liana." "It's useless." "Yes, yes, I know." "But these're truths that I prefer to say to myself alone." "So... no more Massimo, no more Gerardo, let's start from scratch." "Is this shocking for you?" " No." "Nothing is shocking for me." "If you considered them as two dead weights, you were absolutely right to get rid of." "When...we'll see in the time to come." "No, there won't be a time to come." "Will you restart your work?" "The only work I was committed was for a man trying to have courage to ask me to be his wife." "It's clear that I'm not so much to be trusted as an architect." "Don't exaggerate." "Listen..." "Annamaria wants to make her villa bigger." "We could talk to her." "She told me that she'd come here if she made it in time." " Annamaria!" "I've been not seeing her for such a long time." "She can find happiness even in a marmalade can." "Do you know?" "She's pregnant." "Really?" " Yes." "Her husband has become literally crazy." "That's why they want to make their villa bigger." "I'll talk to her another time." "I want to go back to the hotel." "Excuse me." "Shall I tell her something in the meanwhile?" " No, thanks." "We'll talk about." "Yes?" "No." "Liana has already gone out." "In this moment." "What?" "Liana?" "Liana?" "Leonora has called." "You've to go home." "Your mother is feeling bad." "Liana?" "Oh Liana, thanks for coming." "Oh my God, how much I'm bothering all of you." "Oh mom." "My dear." "Now I'm quiet about you." "You've got a man who really loves you and will be able to support you all your life long." "Leonora instead!" "Leonora makes me worry so much." "She's so young." "Help her." "You, please help her." "Yes?" "Yes, you're the only person who can do it." "You have had such a hard life." "Promised?" " I promise you, mom." "And what about dad?" "Have you seen how low he's?" "How old he has been getting lately." "I'm tired." "I'm a bit tired." "Only when you went away I understood that it was your house, mom, when I realized that everything was telling about you." "How hard is to make a house endure." "I was taking care of nothing but this and I'd have never thought that it could take such a long time." "It had taken your own life." "And you were afraid that it wasn't still enough, that we didn't make it by ourselves." "Maybe at that time I realized how much I care for you." "An oil flask again today." "We must be careful." "You bought one two days ago." "What does mean: "Given to the young lady"?" "Is my sister asking you for some money?" "Well, yes." "It was the first time though." "She wanted to buy cloth for a dress." "From now on tell the young lady to speak to me when she needs money." "Yes, madam." "I'm going." "Good night." " See you." " Are you going out this evening too?" "Yes, why?" "Because I think that you're going out a bit too often by evening." "I don't like it." " I like it instead!" "Leonora?" " Yes?" "Where are you going?" "To the movies with Ingrid, you know, that Swedish friend of mine." "Do you mind?" "No." "But I mind that you ask for the money you need the housemaid and not me." "You were not here and I needed it." "You didn't want me to ask you about too many things." "Exactly." "I'm not obligated to tell you everything." "Wait." "Listen...do you have still confidence in me, don't you?" "If you had something to tell me you know that I could understand you." "Keep quiet." "I've confidence in you." " All the better." "Have fun." "Sometimes you're a bit hard on that poor girl." "Well..." "I go to sleep." "Don't keep too much awaken, ok?" "Yes." "It's really hard to take your place, mom." "But you gave me the custody of both of them." "That's true." "Neither dad nor Leonora could live alone." "And I've parted with you for freedom." "Freedom..." "What a strange word which seems to be meaningless to me now." "I was so worried about Leonora that I was no longer taking care of me." "I have no longer wanted anything apart from sparing my sister the same experiences." "Ah!" "Are you here?" "Yes." "I was looking out the window." "I saw you coming." "Happy coincidence or were you waiting for me?" "Was you friend Ingrid going with you by a taxi?" "Yes...why?" "Even if you had a flirt, it'd be more than normal." "It's your time...and you'd have no need to tell me lies." "I'm not telling you lies and I'd like that you meddled a bit less in my business." "You're getting worse than dad!" "No, you're actually having a strange behaviour." "For example, you have no reason to hide that you no longer go to university and you didn't take even an examination." "How do you know that?" " A friend of yours called." "Marcella, I think." "She wanted to know if you were sick." "You haven't been going there since a month." "And...ok!" "I was going to tell you." "I want to abandon university." "Uh!" "Why?" "Because I want to take the entrance examination for academy of music." "I decided to start to play piano again." "Ingrid took that examination." "She was admitted to." "But... how did you make such a resolution so suddenly?" "Because that's what I like more and fits more in my nature." "I couldn't care less about a degree." "Can you see me teaching at school and then looking for a good husband who will bother me all life long?" "Ah no!" "Many thanks." "Music is better." "Do not say foolish things!" "Foolish things?" "It's strange that you consider foolish the things which don't concern you." "Did you ever realize that?" "I know how I have to live." "I got it when I knew what Cajkovskij used to say about himself:" ""Regret the past, trust the future, never be satisfied with the present"." "Fine!" "That's what I am too." "Who told you that?" "Well...that's written in all the books." "Then Ingrid told me about that." "She's a fan of Cajkovskij." ""Bandits", "Don't shoot, kiss me", "Jailbirds"," "Closed for restoration." ""The valley of red men"," ""Wanted for murder"..." " Here she's." "Excuse me." "I'll be quick." "She's nice." "Listen, why don't you pick up her and go the movies with us?" "Don't be so hilarious!" "Do you know that you're starting to bother me?" "Solange, would you be finally jealous?" "I'm sorry that I've made you await." " No, never mind." "I wanted to see you about Leonora." "I'm a bit worried." "Yesterday evening we had a talk and she told me about her decision." "Ah!" "Since you're the best Leonora's friend" "I took the liberty to call you even if I saw you only once." "You did well." "Will you have a drink?" " A soda campari." "Two soda campari." "I'm afraid that Leonora's mistaken to abandon university for music." "What?" "She wants to go into academy of music." "Didn't you know that?" "Well, no!" "You know, I've come back to Rome only this morning." "I haven't still seen her." "She'll talk to me about that for sure." "Oh...of course." "When she'll talk about that, try to make her think it out." "Not that I'm adverse, but..." "I want her to think it out." "Ah..." "I thinks it's better not to mention that we met." " Ok." "Keep quiet." "Thanks." "I don't smoke." "And what about your studies?" "I had to take three examinations but I didn't make it." "I took only one." "A passing grade!" " Uh!" "And...what are you studying?" "Literature...as Leonora." "May I help you, sir?" "No, no, thanks." "Good night." " Good night." "Is it you, Liana?" "Yes, dad." "I went to the movies along with Sergio and Solange." "Well, one day me and you together will go to the movies, but in the afternoon." "It's ready over there." "If you want to eat..." "Has Leonora come back home?" "No." "She has gone to a concert with a friend." "They're broadcasting it on the radio." "Clara prepared an apple pie for you." "It's still warm." "Rai." "Italian Radio Television." "The concert, conducted by maestro Gerardo Villabruna, is over." "Rome symphony orchestra of Italian Radio Television." "Where's Leonora?" "Indeed!" "Where might she go?" "Leonora?" "There's your sister." "I knew that I'd have found you here." "And I didn't think to find you." "Well...now you know!" "Come away!" "Why?" "Also I can do whatever I want." " No!" "You don't have the right!" "You're nothing but my sister!" "And you're nothing but a stupid girl in a crook's house!" "You can say things in a way." "Remember that one day you loved especially my faults." "I don't understand." "What did I do to you?" "What do you want to take revenge of?" "No, look, you're wrong." "I don't want to take revenge." "I'm not interested in you at all." "But I think that she has the right to do what she wants." "How could I be mistaken?" "To think that I loved you." "Liana?" "I didn't know, I swear!" "What are you saying?" "It's not about me!" "I want to prevent you from ruining your life." " Because your ruined your own life?" "I'm not like you." "It's late by now." "I love him." "Don't say it." "It's impossible." "And you, because I hurted you in your own self esteem, you hates me until taking revenge on my sister!" "No, that's not true!" "He loves me." " Can't you see that he's a liar?" "Leave me alove!" " Eh, no!" "Now listen to me all the way!" "No, I don't want to hear anything!" "Nothing, got it?" "You're telling lies because you're jealous, yes, jealous!" "Leonora?" "We're completely inside a melodrama!" "At its climax!" "We've just seen the escape of the young innocent woman who will be back, won't she?" "Look at me, Gerardo!" "I'm ready to anything to save my sister." "I'm ready to kill!" "Yes!" "To kill!" "Is it too much for such a little love, isn't it?" "But if you're having fun with that, go ahead." "I have had fun too." "Gerardo!" "Did you want to kill me, didn't you?" "So go ahead!" "It's even loaded!" "Go on!" "Grab it, come on!" "And to make this moment more striking" "I'm even playing an accompaniment for you." "Goodbye, worthless love." "My stupid love." "Talking and dreaming are much easier that doing, aren't they?" "That's why you're a failure." "A bit like me." "And for this you don't..." "THE END"