La chiave (The Key) (La chiave)

ITALIAN ASSOCIATION OF FASCIST HOTELIERS NEW YEAR'S EVE

Comrades, friends! Colleagues of the IA F H./

Fuck off!

The year 1939, which is about to end, sees the start of a new Europe.

Long live the "Duce"!

For 1940, the 18th year of the Fascist Era,

I express best wishes for victory to the Axis comrades who are already at war,

with whom we'll soon be marching side by side.

Fool...

To us.

Daddy, I was referring to us, the four of us here.

- Why are you such an...? - An Englishman?

Oh, Lisa, you always take everything so seriously.

Drink up. To us!

- A polka. - If the professor would permit.

Of course, my dear fellow. I'm sure that Teresa will be delighted.

Oh no, Laszlo, dance with Lisa.

Go on, you dance, mother... And thank God he's not an Englishman.

May I have the pleasure of this dance?

Granted.

Thank you.

It's true, life goes by in a flash and it's also a mould.

And what a mould.

Teresa is always a fine bird.

Italian blood.

- But is her husband a cuckold? - I don't think so.

He's certainly a lot older than her.

Extraordinary. Lovely, lovely...

Laszlo.

You'll excuse me.

You're sumptuous... I do love you.

Don't make me drink, you know it's bad for me.

But we're so boring when we're sober.

- What do you think of Laszlo? - What do you mean?

For Lisa.

Oh, he's a gentleman.

At the Academy they say he's heading for a brilliant career.

Who knows?

Marriage may be good for her.

And you?

- How was marriage for you? - Come on, Nino, stop it.

Stop it.

- Oh! - Oh, a waltz! Nino...

- No, no, no, no... - Yes, yes...

What are you trying to do to me, Teresa?

Just dance!

Please, Nino, they're staring at us.

Look, look...

Sheer lunacy!

Stop that!

- Are you drunk? - Just a little bit.

Wait for me, my darling.

Wait!

Well, do you want to take the photo or not?

Then take out the sign and let's make a pyramid.

Oh, there's Professor Rolfe.

Hurrah for Professor Rolfe, or "Klimt”!

Klimt! Klimt!

Go on, let's have them in the photo as well.

Everyone keep still.

Click.

In Italy, a place of art, hurrah for cunt!

You knew they would do something filthy.

How vulgar!

That poor girl.

- Well, they're students. - Good for nothings.

Good night.

I'd like to see the faces of those students should the war break out.

Oh, Lisa, it's New Year's Eve, relax!

Let them go ahead.

- Ah, you want a kiss and a cuddle? - No, it's not that.

It's all that sparkling wine.

I'm going to burst. Don't make me laugh. Please, Nino.

That's not a problem, not in Venice anyway.

Over there. Look, there's a dead end.

Come on, I'll keep watch while you er...

I'm ashamed to death.

Even the dames at the court of Versailles used to do it this way.

There's no one around, we're quite alone. Off you go. Go on.

Swear you won't look.

I swear.

"Dearest, piddle on me,

"because your piddle is like hard water,

"loving dearest, shit one in my hand,

"because your shits are like amber here."

That's enough!

But they're verses by Maffio Venier,

a very famous 16th century Venetian poet.

Daddy, mother!

Haven't you finished?

Yes, I'll be right there.

- Feel better? - Yes.

Finally! You're slow as snails.

You walk too fast.

I can't keep up with you.

These heels...

CIOTTI FAMILY GUEST HOUSE

Well, thank you once again for a lovely evening.

- Good night! - Oh, er...

If you want to stay the night, number one is free.

Oh, that's very kind of you, Signora Teresa,

but my parents are phoning me from Budapest tomorrow morning,

I think I'd better go home.

Well, as you like, Laszlo. You're welcome to stay.

Mother, he said no.

Laszlo is not one to stand on ceremony.

Well, good night then.

Good night, Signora, and Happy New Year.

- To everyone. - Good night.

- Ciao. - Ciao.

- See you tomorrow. - Bye!

Yeah, bye.

What's the matter with her? Has she gone deaf?

Nonsense. She's probably been to a party herself.

I'm coming.

Giulietta, how many times must I tell you

turn the lights off at midnight?

I've only just got back, madam.

Ask Aurelio, he accompanied me back here.

Ah, Aurelio was there... I bet you two went upstairs.

Me, upstairs with Aurelio? I'm sorry that you think that.

But upstairs with me in the Ciotti House there's nothing going on.

"Nix", as the professor says.

Yes, I see, good night.

OK, I don't want an argument.

Don't take of fence, Giulietta. Madam's tired.

See you tomorrow.

Sleep as late as you like, nobody will arrive tomorrow morning.

The bathroom's free, if you want to go.

Teresa...

Let me go to the bathroom, come on.

No, stay like this. and I'll undress you.

What are you doing? You're tearing everything.

I'll buy you ten pairs tomorrow.

Well, at least let me look at you.

Turn it off. You know I don't like it.

You know it.

- Yet you peed in the street. - No one saw me.

I did.

You pig. You swore you wouldn't look.

I was forced to.

Someone walked by on the other side of the canal.

- Who? - A man.

Laszlo perhaps...

It's not possible.

It's your imagination again.

No. Stay inside me.

He lives on the other side of the canal.

Opposite us here, on the Zattere embankment.

He has his own maritime agency.

They sold franchise.

Three schooners in lstria.

You've heard of him if I tell you his name.

He's old, a widower. Seems he's retired now.

With all this money, though.

I doubt he'll get it up anymore, but he can pay for his kicks.

He likes to look. He pays for looking.

He shopped around, until he found two housewives.

Not young, but nice.

You'd know them too, if I told you their names.

They live around here, those houses by Campo Marte.

For money naturally, they did it to each other in front of him.

He'd sit there and look in the kitchen where one of them lives.

A hole on the ground floor.

Their husbands? I would say they knew about it for sure.

Penniless, whatever they earned, the tavern gets it.

No, no, the two housewives... Well, they'd never done it before.

'Teresa, my love, let me tell you all about me.

'I write this diary in the hope that you will read it

'and in so doing learn what I would never be able to say to you personally.

'By confessing that I imagined you in the place of the blonde woman,

'I risk being judged vile and corrupt. I know that.

'And yet it is my love for you that urges me to face all risk.

'Anything to help break down your restraint,

'that cursed modesty which still makes you blush after 20 years of marriage.

'Being rid of it would help you too, don't you understand?

'And it would help me to satisfy you.

'I know that your innate discretion might prevent you from reading my diary

'but should your eye fall upon it by chance...'

Good morning. How come you're back already?

- Baa' weather. - Yes, better to sleep.

Bad weather also has its advantages, because birds fly low.

- Giustina. .. - They can '1' understand anyway.

Andrea's through with my hair.

Teresa, can you go and clear up?

- Can't I send Giustina? - No, not Giustina.

She always makes such a hell of a mess I can never find anything.

- No, go on. You go, I can stay here. - (Telephone rings)

Pens/one Ciotti. Lisa, dear. Where are you?

But certainly, papa loves to invite a guest for dinner, you know that.

And listen, thank him for sending the lobsters.

Yes, that'll be fine. 7.30, don't be late now. Ciao.

It was Lisa, she's bringing Laszlo to dinner.

Well, if that makes you happy.

What do you mean by "if it makes me happy"?

It makes Lisa happy. And it should make you happy too.

Someone is nice to you and you...

He even sent you some crabs.

Crabs? I thought it was lobsters.

Giustina, when you've finished the rooms,