Assunta Spina

Salvatore, uncle Pasquale has sent for the lawyer.

Peppino, kiss father's hand.

Oh, the poor! You made him kiss the cuffs!

Show mommy, what happened?

...the Civil and Penal Tribunal of Naples.

Today, the 10th Of September 1902.

- 80 centesimi. - Peppino, there's only 70! - No, 80, sir.

- There's also the brioche. - I'll take care of it. - Right, you pay,

and then we'll settle the account with the bill.

- When? - Tomorrow, at the Santa Maria Assizes.

- Civil action? - Yes. - The father and the mother were there?

Yes, and they were inciting the girl to a brutal crime.

- Witnessing in Court is a serious thing... - Can I?

- Easy! Are you in a hurry? - Am I to wait for you?

- We must make way for the Princess! - Don't shout, or I'll throw down your hat.

Did you hear what she said? I can't be offended by a plebeian!

- Move yourself! Giuseppina! - The nerve!

- Mother, don't make a scene! - Throw down your sister's hat,

- the one walking the streets! - What's the matter?

There are so many in Naples... I'm sorry.

- She's Tina Bouquet! I've heard you sing in Rome. - At the Salone Margherita?

Yes. I'm a colleague of your daughter's, Epaminonda Pesce.

- Pesce! You've sung at Eden? - Yes.

I've heard you sing often! I've laughed so much!

- Thank you. - You're very good.

Yes, thank you. Mother?

- I live on coffee! Thank you. - Please, sit down.

- Two coffees and a vermuth. A cookie, a rustico? - No, thank you.

- I'll have a cookie. - Good. - I'll take two, one for me, and one for her.

- Mother! - How come you're here?

- I've been... how d'you say... called? - Summoned.

Yes, I've been salmoned and I took my daughter along.

- What is it all about? - A scar.

Assunta Spina, the one that owns the ironing shop.

There're lots of girls and above there is a house with a balcony full of flowers.

I long to kiss you..., I long to kiss you...

But I don't have the heart to wake you.

This time Donna Assunta really did it!

She didn't have anything and Don Michele bought her everything.

Shoes, clothes, petticoats, the cupboard, everything.

Even the shop was bought by Don Michele with his money.

- If only I'd have a man who'd take care of me! - Without marrying you?

lt'd be enough to take me out as Don Michele does with Donna Assunta.

Entertainment every day, Posillipo, Secondigliano,

and then trips to the country, ice-creams, puffs!

Donna Assunta gave me this chocolate.

- And who bought it for her? - It's good!

He cut her because he was jealous and this means he loves her!

My lover is not jealous, he's got no money, but he trusts me.

There's no food without money, and no love without jealousy.

- Would you like being cut? - I don't know, maybe I would.

You're crazy!

Michele! My Michele, how will it end!

- Calm down, Donna Concetta, all will be fine. - You're right.

- Who's Don Michele? - The owner of the butcher's shop.

I'm the shop boy and that's his mother, Donna Concetta.

- What did he do? - He cut his lover, Assunta Spina.

She's a hot head, once in a while she gets restless,

and once in a while a man will get into trouble because of her.

Don Michele took the razorblade and tsa!

- Was it worth it? - She's a very beautiful woman.

But you can't figure her out. Is she in love? Isn't she?

She lights up, she turns off, today you have her, tomorrow she's gone.

Don Michele lost his head over her.

The mother did everything to make him change his mind, but it was all for naught.

- Today's the lawsuit? - At the Fifth Section.

- So, councillor? - All's well, all's well.

Cangemi Ferdinando!

Usaglio Arturo!

- Usacca Carmela! - Here! - I've already called for you once.

- Has master Buffa arrived? - Yes, and he went away. - Coming back? - Don't know.

- He's a nuisance! - Are you nervous?

I'm here, but my mind's at home. My wife's been due for seven days.

- And why are you afraid? - She can give birth any time!

- What's the count? - It's the eighth, and another female.

- We already have seven! - Males or female, they still are children!

Yes, but it's a tragedy. I have to buy seven pairs of shoes,

seven handbags, seven puffs!

And then, the husbands! Where am I to find seven husbands?

The reason's obvious.

Jealoousy, Your Honour.

Assunta and me love each other. I cut her.

Assunta is mine, and I can do anything I want with her.

- Go to your place. - Thank you.

Let's start with the witnesses. So.

Forcinelli Emilia.

Forcinelli Emilia!

Forcinelli Emilia!

Forcinelli Emilia! Is she dead, or what?

I'm alive! let's hope you're no jinxer!

The witnesses must wait outside the court room.

- I'm here. - Come in. - Let's go. Come, Tina.

I was here. Here I am.

- Silence! Are you Forcinelli Emilia? - Yes, sir.

- Come forward. - Tina, don't go away.

- This way? - Come forward.

- Forcinelli Emilia? - At your orders.

- Parents? - Saverio and Gelsomina Porretti, deceased.

- Occupation? - Obstetrician.

- Midwife. - It's the same thing.

- Age? - 57.

Do you swear to tell the truth, all the truth,

- and nothing but the truth? - I do.

Even if I hadn't sworn, it'd have been all the same.

It's because I've been always telling the truth, that I've made so many enemies.

The oath is not a proof of mistrust, it's a rule, a rite.

What d'you know about what happened?

I've known Don Michele all the way since I was helping his late father, Don Teodoro.

He was a handsome man... You also are, but Don Teodoro!

I'm flattered, but let's go back to the facts.

Don Michele is a good man, an honest man.

If he says there's 600 grams of meat, there really are 600 grams!

He's not like those that sell you donkey for veal!

- Be short. - Am I to speak about his love for Assunta? Everyone knows it.

He's mad about her. He really loves her.

And then, at a certain age, a man loses his head.

Still, Donna Assunta is also very beautiful.

I don't want to speak ill of no one, what do I care?

But a mother should educate better her own daughters!

Assunta's mother didn't. I've only got one daughter...

- Madame! - I have to say it, it gives me great satisfaction.

The one that'll marry her, will be really fortunate.

Even if he'd be a great singer, Your Honour.

She's got such a voice! Tina, let us hear you!

Unfortunately, men prefere dubious women!

I'm not saying ill of no one, I've already said that one is very beautiful,

but she had a bad education. And then, she's mad.

You here! I kiss your hand. Your servant.

- What're you doing here? - I've come for Michelangelo.

- Again inside? - Since three months!

The Lord will get him out.

But if it was he stayed inside, it'd be better, it'd make him reconsider.

What're you talkin' about? His mother's home can save him, not the prison!

- And then, he's innocent. - That's for the judge to decide.

He's innocent like a mountain spring.

Say a special prayer for my Michelangelo,

and I'll give you two hens that make fresh eggs.

If you want the prayer, you must give me three hens and a cock.

Let's say two hens and a cock.

- Alright, but no guarantees. - Alright.

If I may, where's the Fifth Section?

- I don't know, go up and ask someone. - Thank you.

Then we agree. But three hens'd have been better!

Spina Assunta! Assunta Spina!

- It's me. - Go in.

- Sir. - Peppino. - Move on.

Silence!

Come forward. What's your name?

- Don't go up, Don Michele doesn't want you to! - But he's my son!

- Donna Concetta, don't be a child! - Don't make no scenes!

- I want to go to my son! - Don't let her go up.

- If she sees Donna Assunta, sometihng bad will happen. - True!

Don't be stubborn, he was your lover, he has confessed it right now.

Everyone says he was jealous. Was he, yes or no?

- Yes, but this doesn't count. - Then, he was jealous.

And he suspected you of something. Is it true, or not?

- It's true. - We're through with the witnesses. You can go.

- Have you seen Assunta Spina? - Who's she?

You never know anything here!

- My daughter and Pesce, where're they? - Who? - My daughter and Pesce.

What d'you want from me? You've got one daughter, I've got seven!

When I go back home, I don't even count them anymore!

- At last! Leave right away. Is there another staircase? - Sure.

- Why? - You mustn't meet with Donna Concetta.

What do I care? I want to stay here, I want to know what he gets.

- Avoid her, take the other staircase. - No!

- Donna Emilia 's right. - Federico, you tell her.

I can accompany you to another staircase.

- Cut it out! - Well done! You've won even here!

- I always do what I want. - You always do what you want.

- It's good that you know it. - I know it at my expense!

- Donna Concetta! - Know that I came here to accomplish a good deed.

You, a good deed?! You've ruined my son, trollope!

- Aren't you going to step in? - Me? - Something bad will happen.

If it does, the carabinieri will come.

- Listen... - Donna Assunta, now's not the time. - Let go of me!

You're right, I'm to blame for what happened.

- But look. - No. - You must look! It's your son that did this to me.

He cut me and I've said, in here, that it wasn't him!

All the best to you!

The cut is only love, pushed to it's limit.

The bloody message of a desperate desire.

You know the milieu in which the crime took place.

You know the kind of people that live around here, the superstions, the errors.

It's paramount for the understanding of our people's behaviour.

I'm refering to the climatical and geological conditions in this city.

Here, the sirocco blows with all his exhasuting fury.

It's a volcanic land, splendid and hostile,

made of sun and African wind, at the extreme boundaries of the West.

I can iron collars.

Try me. I've grown up and still do errands.

Donna Assunta, aren't you going to answer me?

I'm sorry, I was thinking at Don Michele.

Let's hope they'll let him out soon.

- Is it over, Donna Assunta? - No, it isn't over yet.

- Mother? - She's there.

- Donna Emilia. - So, councillor?

- I'm not a councillor. - Then you don't know anything.

- The verdict will be out soon. Can I talk to you? - Yes.

Have you heard? The verdict's coming soon.