THE LEOPARD
APRIL 1860
THE ITALIAN PENINSULA IS FRAGMENTED INTO SMALL KINGDOMS.
FOR OVER 100 YEARS, SICILY HAS BEEN RULED OVER
BY THE HOUSE OF BOURBON.
IN THE NORTH, A MOVEMENT CALLING FOR ITALIAN UNITY IS GATHERING STRENGTH.
GENERAL GARIBALDI ASSEMBLES AN ARMY TO SAIL SOUTH.
THE CITY OF PALERMO BRACES ITSELF.
The curfew has begun! Back to your houses!
Go home right now!
Ready your weapons!
Are you mad or just stupid?
The city is closed!
Yes, we know, Captain.
Prince.
Lower your weapons!
It's dangerous for you here, Prince.
The whole city is in uproar.
Garibaldi's supporters grow more violent by the hour.
You're doing a fine job here.
But we need to pass through now.
Right away.
Let them pass! Make way for the Leopard!
Open for the Prince of Salina!
Your Excellency.
Papa!
-Papa! -Prince, the curfew!
Father.
Go pack your things.
Go.
Bendicò, come on.
Why is he here?
Bendicò!
Families loyal to the Bourbons are directly threatened by these riots.
To avoid any possibility of danger,
we prefer to take the girl home.
Prince, whatever happens out there in the world,
she is safe here.
Who would dare attack the convent of the Holy Redeemer?
I respect your opinion, Mother Superior. And, incidentally, I agree with it.
But my wife, this convent's benefactor,
will give neither myself nor the Holy Redeemer
a moment's rest until her daughter is home.
What's going on?
Quickly, move the carts!
What's happening?
Papa!
Get back in, Your Excellency.
Help!
Papa.
We'll die if we stay here.
Your Excellency, let's go.
We're ready, Prince. We can go.
Prince, get in, quickly! Now!
Your Excellency?
Prince, help!
Please.
-Prince! -Captain! Quickly!
-Get in, Your Excellency. -Help!
Wait!
Papa!
Bastard!
Go!
Death to the Bourbons!
My Lord, may eternal light shine upon them.
When they say, "Death to the Bourbons," they mean us?
Death to us.
They are heretics, apostates, and cutthroats.
Garibaldi wants to tear down the abbeys
and hang the Pope.
Don’t talk nonsense, Father.
Garibaldi's not here.
He's still in Genoa.
That mob will just set upon a few unlucky soldiers.
And when they've stolen enough wine from the cellars,
they'll go back home.
And I will have to go back to the convent, won't I?
That's your mother's wish.
We shall see.
Come here.
It’s good to be home.
They're here!
-Concetta! -Caterina!
-You're so thin! -She's always thin.
Move aside!
Was there fighting in the city?
Concetta!
-We got you out just in time. -What do you mean "we"?
I didn't see you in Palermo.
He wanted to go, but he couldn't find his dueling pistols.
Don't tease your brother.
Mama!
Your hair smells of convent soap.
Thank you.
Well, shall we?
-Let's have breakfast. -Papa told me all about it.
We have an amazing granita.
Bless us, Oh Lord,
and bless Thy gifts
which we are about to receive from Thy bounty.
Through Christ, Our Lord.
-Amen. -Amen.
Hurry, before Father Pirrone eats it all.
Where is Tancredi?
Our cousin comes and goes as he pleases.
He's a grown man now.
He has his own life, his own things.
Which we pay for.
Father Pirrone, are you feeling unwell?
You look a bit pale.
Father Pirrone had an awful night.
Is that why you look a bit white? Your face is a little white, Father.
It's not funny.
I agree with Father Pirrone.
It's not funny at all.
He had every right to be frightened.
-Paolo, they're… -This is no joke.
Do not interrupt your mother.
Sorry.
But it’s not only the Jesuits Garibaldi wants to destroy,
it’s the whole Bourbon kingdom.
He wants to crush us and sweep us into the sea.
-He's right. -So forget about dresses and balls.
-Don't talk nonsense, Paolo. -Everyone loves a party.
There's an army on its way, do you understand?
The peasants and bandits setting fire to Palermo
are clearing the way.
Stop.
Be quiet.
Forgive me, Papa.
Forgive me.
But I don't understand why you’re not more concerned.
Paolo, this is Sicily.
It's April.
In two months, it will be so hot here
that it won't enter anyone's mind
to start a revolution.
They will simply crawl into their holes, desperate for shade,
and lie there and wait for October.
In the meantime, we'll carry on with our lives.
You're all safe here.
That's all there is to say.
Yes, Papa.
-Yes, Papa. -Yes, Papa.
Now, let's enjoy our breakfast and Concetta's return. Hm?
Come now, eat up.
"It's not funny."
"No, it's not funny at all!"
Come on, Father. We're only joking!
COLLECTED SPEECHES OF GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI
Don Tancredi!
Concetta!
It's alright, Gaetano.
It's only my cousin paying us a visit.
Thanks for passing by, Concetta.
I'm always so happy to see you.
But I'm a little tied up right now.
-Who are those weapons for, Tancredi? -For a friend.
It's important to help our friends, isn't it?
The men I saw in Palermo yesterday trying to murder a king's captain
didn't seem like friends to me.
They looked like Gaetano, you mean? Gaetano's my friend, Concetta.
You've decided to fight for them?
Papa will go mad!
-He's your father, not mine. -He doesn't see it that way.
Don't tell him then.
His opinion is that it will all come to nothing.
Of course, Concetta. That's bound to be his preferred outcome.
Everything he has, the Bourbons gave to him.
And everything you have, my father gave to you.
Our houses, our gardens…
Will you sacrifice everything to help your new friends?
No, I want to protect everything.
-Do you? -I do.
But how can I do that if I'm on the losing side?
Who says we'll lose?
I do.
Think about it, Concetta.
Who are your blue-uniformed soldiers fighting for?
For a king they've never seen?
For a bunch of fat priests to get even fatter?
It doesn't seem very motivating to me.
They have new ideas in the North.
There's industry and progress.
What do we have here?
Censorship and corruption.
Not to mention…
if you were to lose,
you wouldn't have to go back to the convent.
That's your first persuasive argument.
Concetta.
Did you know they're building new railways?
We could take a boat from Messina to Naples,
and then a train for Rome,
Florence, or Venice.
It would be just one country?
Imagine the splendor.
Sicily, no longer just an island,
but part of one nation.
Don't tell your father that you've seen me.
Oh, I can't tell him?
I think I'll do as I please.
Concetta…
All right.
But on one condition.
That you write to me often to tell me you're fine.
Your concern for me is very touching.
Concetta, when we were upstairs earlier…
did you see it all?
Goodbye, Concetta!
Russo!
-Prince. -Always on time.
Those are beautiful boots.
Are they new?
Take me to Argivocale.
I want to know what's happening with my lemons.
Mr. Ibba Agnolo.
Tenant farmer
According to my calculations,
you've taken 50 baskets of Argivocale lemons from me.
No, that's not true! I have nothing to do with that!
-Believe me! -Take the umbrella away.
-Please! -Prince, don't drink that water.
There's an epidemic.
Prince, I beg you.
Those lemons were stolen
by bandits.
They were carrying rifles and attacked my family.
What was I supposed to do?
I had to give them the lemons, Prince.
Do you believe him, Russo?
If it was the bandits who stole the lemons,
why didn't he report the theft?
Prince, these peasants are all the same.
They're all liars.
Of course. They're Sicilian.
In Sicily, we lie incessantly, don't we?
Even you, right now…
are feeding me lies. Aren't you?
I'm not, Prince.
-You aren't? -No.
I know perfectly well
that the bandits he speaks of are your men.
And it's not simply about 50 baskets of Argivocale lemons gone missing.
It's also about the 300 baskets
hidden in your cellar.
I didn't mean to, I swear.
So tell me,
what is your plan?
You steal crumbs from me now,
and then maybe, when the revolution has swept me away,
you take the rest too?
Now…
I should destroy you.
I should burn your house down.
I should drive your sons into the mountains.
I'm begging you, no!
I'm begging you! No!
But I won't do that.
Just this once.
Stand up.
Prince, I don't know how to thank you.
By showing some loyalty
and remembering the rules.
These people,
they know their place.
You…
know your place.
And I too…
know my place.
Understood?
Have a new well dug here for clean water.
And make sure these people always have fresh bread.
-Now, let's go. -I will do it!
-Charbonnier. -Coal.
Good morning, Your Excellency.
-Miss Concetta. -Thank you, Mario.
-Chocolat. -Chocolate.
Come, Bendicò. Let's go.
REBELS FOUGHT OFF BY ROYAL TROOPS THE RIOTS CONTINUE
To the highly esteemed Miss Concetta Corbera.
I am fine.
Your servant, Tancredi Falconeri.
Come on!
As you command!
To Miss Concetta Corbera. All is fine.
Tancredi, help!
-Be careful. -Yes, sir.
To Miss Concetta Corbera. Everything is going as planned.
Charge!
I am well.
Get the guns!
-For a united Italy! -Yeah!
Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Death to the Bourbons!
And blessed is the fruit
of Thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now.
No letters for me?
No, Miss Concetta. I'm sorry.
What's wrong? Why the barking?
They say his mother lives nearby in Monreale.
He was trying to get home.
Oh, good heavens.
What is it, Paolo? Have you got something to say?
He was one of ours, Papa.
And a mother will have to mourn him
because of cowardly dogs like Tancredi.
Do you know what everyone's saying?
That your beloved Tancredi
is openly backing the rebels.
Papa, I know you think he walks on water…
-Paolo! -But it is time someone shot him!
Come here.
Come here!
Fabrizio!
Who is it?
-Papa? -Yes?
What Paolo said about Tancredi…
Ignore him.
What is it, my girl?
You seem a bit upset.
I promised I wouldn't say anything.
Have you decided to break that promise?
You always say you know everything,
so perhaps there's no point telling you.
I'm not God. I can't know everything.
And can I remind you of that whenever I want?
I'm tired of this game now.
Tell me.
What's going on?
Tancredi has been writing to me.
Every day. From Palermo.
Telling you what?
That he's fine.
That he's safe.
And why wouldn't he be safe?
He went to Palermo to join the rioters.
Yes, I know that too.
Get to the point.
The letters have stopped.
-Where are you going? -Concetta will explain.
Concetta?
Can't it wait until the morning?
Open up! Make way for the Prince of Salina!
Prince.
-Who's that? -He's the Prince, can't you tell?
Uncle!
How did you find me?
Do you really think I don't know how you spend the money I give you?
Even those insurrectionary leaflets you published.
With my money.
You knew and didn't stop me?
I would've acted sooner
had I known you were going to get yourselves shot.
It's our opinion…
that they're not really serious about that.
What a pity, because there's a large crowd
drooling at the prospect of a front-row seat
at your execution tomorrow.
I'll try to talk to someone in the morning to sort this out.
But I can't guarantee anything.
I was very fond of my sister.
Even though she was rather soft-headed.
She married an idiot who squandered her fortune.
When she died…
When she died,
there was nothing left for Tancredi.
Not even a ducat.
So I provided for him.
He's always been exceptional,
even as a boy.
I spent more time with him than with my own children.
You'll see to it that he gets released tomorrow?
I still don't know what I'm going to say to that asshole governor.
Since when do we punish young idealists
with firing squads?
Young idealists have been executed since the dawn of time.
And the young man in question is a threat.
Yes, I'm sure he is.
Mainly to himself, when he gambles.
Prince, my troops are preparing to go to war.
And in war, we must set examples.
Tancredi Falconeri, who, in any case, is not your son,
is the best possible example that I could set.
And you're going to use my nephew as an example
to those sycophants?
The Prince of Salina's nephew?
I'm terribly sorry.
But those men,
they will be shot out there.
If you like,
you can watch from the terrace.
This is a checkbook for my London account.
Just name your price.
Thank you,
but money has never been something I crave.
It's too easy to waste it.
What do you want?
Land.
That very same land
that you've always had in abundance,
and which has meant you've never had to worry about a thing.
What land did you have in mind?
I was thinking of Argivocale.
Argivocale?
You'll get 20 hectares.
I don't want just a patch of land.
I want all of it.
Yes, I know your family has held power there for more than 100 years.
But that's my price.
If you decide to come and watch…
I'll see you on the terrace.
50 hectares.
Wait!
If you love jail so much,
why don't you rob a bank?
Then at least you could buy back some of what I’ve had to give away
to get you out.
My comrades are still in there.
Is it not dishonorable for me to leave them in jail?
You have the nerve to talk to me about honor?
Move.
-May I? -Please.
-Your Excellency. -Balsamo, dress him.
What is this, Uncle?
Just eat.
But why are we going to the club? Huh?
Two brandies.
Gentlemen, I'd like to propose a toast.
To my nephew, Tancredi Falconeri.
Any man who doesn’t drink can consider himself my enemy.
-A brandy, please. -Coming up.
Long live Tancredi Falconeri!
We can go outside now.
This won't be a pretty sight.
Excuse me.
-My little boy! -Mama, I'm scared!
Holy Mary, have mercy on us.
Have mercy on us, please.
I don't want to die!
Aim!
Fire!
Viva Italia!
Aim!
Viva Garibaldi!
Fire!
No!
Imagine if I'd let them shoot you.
-Francesco! -All right!
Fabrizio, can you get the dog off the table?
Papa likes the dog on the table.
Don't feed him a tart. It'll make him sick.
Children!
It wasn't tart, it was a piece of brioche.
-Cousins! -Tancredi's back!
Tancredi!
Caterina!
Hi.
-We missed you. -Dear Chiara.
-Hi. -Cousin.
He's not a visiting dignitary. Let him sit down and give him some food.
Come sit down, cousin.
Aunt Stella.
Thank you for taking such good care of me.
This is your home, Tancredi.
We prayed for you, Tancredi.
Father.
Didn't you miss all this, cousin?
-Yes, Caterina! -Really!
And I'd like to say that there's never been
a better table than this, and there never will be!
Taste the granita. It's amazing!
The brioches are good too!
-Here. -I've been looking forward to this.
Concetta, can I have some too?
Concetta?
No, Chiara. You've had enough already!
-Concetta! -Mama!
Wow!
It's so good!
Tancredi, how dare you?
Oh God, there he goes again.
All that we are, all we’ve given him, he rejects it.
I think he likes the food, Paolo.
I understand how you feel.
I really do.
You are my cousin, and I'll always love you.
Garibaldi and his army will land here in a few days.
His very presence here
taunts you and you can't even see it.
Or maybe you can?
Because if he's a traitor, and there's no denying that,
what does that make you, Papa?
Well, Uncle,
it's an excellent question.
I don't think he said anything too controversial.
You humiliate your son.
You shame him.
He asked you a perfectly reasonable question.
Of course we love Tancredi.
He's like a son to us.
But he's siding against us.
Or at least against the position we're supposed to hold.
Although I have no idea where we do actually stand anymore.
We stand
firmly on our land.
Same as it ever was?
Same as it ever was.
You favor your nephew over your son.
And Concetta over her sisters.
And your encounters in Palermo over me.
I know you for who you are.
And so does God.
I couldn't bear the idea of you in Hell.
I pray for your soul every day.
Your intercessions with God
will no doubt humble me.
Nothing in this world humbles you.
Let me weep
Over my cruel fate
And that I long
For freedom
And that I long
For freedom
You're sad, I think.
Very sad.
Thank you for noticing, Concetta.
Is it because of your friends?
Which ones?
Those who were shot?
And those who were not
and are now out there getting the revolution you’re so keen on.
Concetta, this place is paradise.
Part of me wishes I could stay here forever.
But that would mean settling for what I already have.
Which is nothing, Concetta.
That's not true.
You have us.
And all of this.
I have a house in ruins and your father's charity.
There's a whole world out there.
That's where I need to be.
Where I might build a future for myself.
Do you understand?
Your Excellency.
Here are your lemons.
I have some news.
I've handed my estates in Argivocale to Governor Leonforte
but I've made him believe you're the only one capable of managing them.
So, as of today, you'll stop stealing from me
and start stealing from him.
It will be far more profitable for you.
Haven't I done you a good turn?
Are you happy?
You're very generous, Prince.
Good. Now I am going to ask for something in return.
Anything.
Garibaldi and his redshirt bootlickers…
They will land any day now.
Would you and your men
defend us from any type of invasion?
Prince,
your house
will be quieter than a convent.
Good.
Is there something else you'd like to tell me?
Yes.
The matter of your nephew.
Uncle! What's going on? Did I forget something?
Do you know what really aggravates me?
That I'll have to learn from a stranger
how you've bled to death on some useless battlefield.
I'd rather shoot you right now.
You'd get all your credit back at the club.
Very true.
Do you really think
that you and that general of yours can conquer Sicily?
-Have you forgotten where you come from? -I'll never forget that.
Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans…
They all went home, eventually.
And each time we just shrugged,
dusted ourselves off,
and thought to ourselves,
"Whatever made them think they could come here and become our masters?"
And then we waited patiently again
for our next would-be masters.
Uncle, our next masters are about to arrive.
I only hope you're ready.
They might make us better than we are.
Better how?
More industrious? More cultured?
Fiscally responsible?
You're dreaming.
We don't want to be better.
We think we're perfect as we are.
Remember, our vanity is stronger than any army.
Uncle, if we want everything to stay as it is,
then everything must change.
Wait.
We're in Sicily, after all.
Sooner or later, you'll need to bribe someone.
Goodbye, Uncle.
Viva Garibaldi!
To arms!
What if he dies?
He won't.
BASED ON "THE LEOPARD" BY GIUSEPPE TOMASI DI LAMPEDUSA
Subtitles by: Jerrold Cameron