Casanova's Return (Il ritorno di Casanova)

NOW MY CHARMS ARE ALL O'ERTHROWN

AND WHAT STRENGTH I HAVE'S MINE OWN,

WHICH IS MOST FAINT.

The Tempest, W. Shakespeare.

Giacomo?

Giacomo?

Casanova?

You went out?

What's going on? Why have you stopped?

We wanted to know what you thought of the prologue. Didn't we, Leo?

- We wanted to link... - All right, we can talk later.

Now, let's get on. Come on.

Go!

Leo?

You've edited the first half, haven't you? Let's see it.

Unfortunately, what's not there cannot be seen.

What does that mean?

Gianni

we're friends, we've known each other a lifetime,

but now I'm speaking to the editor of all my films!

The start contains the whole story.

Let's see if I've understood the scale of this tragedy.

Of your film,

for which I've mortgaged my only home,

for which I'm breaking my back

to try to get it to the Venice Film Festival

of your film,

you've only edited the prologue?

No, Alberto, not exactly. We have the whole film in our heads.

Leo, we've made ten films together.

Things have gone pretty well,

we've become friends even.

Now you have a really beautiful home,

a driver who takes you around in a really beautiful car.

People call you maestro...

Are you listening to me?

Come on! I'm going home.

What's happened to him?

I don't know.

Ever since he came back from the set he's like a different person.

He finds endless excuses to not come to work.

He's always nervous, distracted. I've never seen him like this.

It's like he didn't want to finish the film.

Look at me, Gianni, if I don't get this film to Venice,

I'm ruined. No, really, eh!

At this point there's only one solution.

Welcome home, Leo!

Gianni, you know him like the back of your hand, you know what he'd like.

Ask him every now and then for some advice,

show him something if he wants,

but, please, Gianni, save this film!

Gianni, you have to do it. Do it!

Girls who laugh are beautiful.

You're not too bad either! Dressed like that, in the mud,

with a book in your hand.

- And then with that face. - Why? What kind of face do I have?

A face that's seen lots of faces.

I heard someone's wanting to make a film round here.

And you?

- Are you the director? - Yes, I'm scouting for locations.

- A film about farming? - No!

About the passage of time.

Is it hard to be an actor?

Read a bit of this!

Read it, read it. Try!

"The Return of Casanova".

- How should I read it? - Any way you like. Simply.

"You don't know Venice either?"

"Casanova asked marcolina and thought:".

"The city where I was young..."

"Oh! If I'd met you then..."

"And he had another idea, almost more absurd than his previous one:."

"What if I took you away with me now?"

- Have you finished editing? - Yes.

The film's finished. Though I'd never stop changing it.

But the producer tells me, "Lorenzo, stop now! Stop!"

Your first film met with critical enthusiasm,

and some even spoke of a masterpiece.

- Are you worried about the second? - I tried to make a free film.

Well, as free as possible...

No, I'm not worried.

- What did the film cost? - Sorry, I don't know.

Your film along with Leo Bernardi's on Casanova,

could represent Italy at the Venice Film Festival this year.

It would be a great honour for me to be in Venice with Leo Bernardi.

I consider him a maestro.

Yes! Via muratori 22,

hurry, please, I've really hurt myself.

Get out of here, you!

Dr Saccocci to Geriatrics.

Dr Saccocci to Geriatrics.

Ankle, eh?

Ah! Excuse me, what are you doing?

- Does it hurt if I do that? - Of course, it hurts, a little.

There's no tibiotarsal distortion, eh!

As far as I'm concerned, you can go home.

- Do you have a crutch? - No. Sorry, who the fuck are you?

Pleased to meet you.

Luigi Picchi. I'm a lawyer.

But since I turned 56 and I lost my wife

a heart attack.

I'm afraid to sleep alone.

I've been spending the nights here for a couple of years,

$0, in the unfortunate event, let's say...

I feel I'd have an advantage.

You know

sometimes seconds can make the difference.

Remember that.

But you're fine, eh!

- You can go home, I'd say. - Thank you.

Mr Bernardi to room 5.

Get yourself a crutch and put some ice on it.

Fine.

Leo Bernardi to room 5, thank you.

I recognised you, by the way.

What marvel are you preparing for us, Maestro!

THE RETURN OF CASANOVA

At the age of almost 60, Casanova,

for some time no longer pushed to wander the world

by the youthful pleasure of adventure,

but by the restlessness of advancing old age

was seized by such an intense nostalgia

for the city of his birth, Venice,

that he began to circle around it,

like a bird coming down to die from the heights of freedom

in ever tighter spirals...

In that air that was too clear for the thoughts that tormented him,

everything seemed senseless and repugnant to him.

Casanova knew well

that once upon a time a single word would have been enough

to have that young peasant woman for his pleasure.

But now...

Be careful, sir!

Your coach almost hit me!

I expect an apology, sir.

Giacomo!

Is that you? Olivo?

Clearly you were hiding in the brambles

of this poor brain of mine.

But let me look at you.

You're a different person since I saw you at your wedding.

But as you can see, I've changed as well.

Now I'm just a dusty man.

Come, I have fresh water in the carriage.

Without giving Casanova a chance to refuse,

Olivo invited him to spend a few days at his villa,

instead of the humble inn where he was staying.

How's it going?

I don't know... Basically...

I saw an interview with a young director

what's his name...? Lorenzo Marino.

He says he made a "free" film. What the fuck does that mean?

It seems he's also going to Venice.

And it's only his second film! But the critics love him.

What?

- I mean, doesn't that bother you? - Who?

This Marino, so full of energy...

Well, young people... they run!

Fuck off!

Silvia!

Excuse me...

- Do you know her? - No.

Gianni, I'm in deep shit.

- I'm gonna take a taxi and go, eh? - I'll wait with you.

- No! You're tired, you go home too. - Leo, listen, tomorrow morning

- come to the edit suite for an hour. - Yeah.

- Then I can continue on my own. - OK, see you tomorrow.

It's obscene, obscene!

He's made one film, and the critics are screaming about miracles.

"The future of Italian cinema!"

It's insane.

- I interviewed him. - Yes, I saw it.

And he seemed pretty interesting to me. And nice as well.

- May 1? - Yeah, sure!

It's not that you're envious?

It's not envy, love, it's indecency!

It's this shit

of flattering the infantile screeching of talent.

It's the end of any merit, of hierarchy, of duration in time.

I'm convinced he'll come up with something great.

And you hope he comes up with it especially for you, eh?

I think you should go back to A&E and your new friend.

He's afraid of dying and you, when you finish a film, get depressed.

Don't tell me I'm depressed when you know fine I'm depressed.

It irritates me.

And then, if I really have to hear it, I want a psychiatrist to tell me.

And not a random blogger who thinks she can talk about cinema,

but instead is gagging to get the talented young director into bed!

You've broken my balls, Leo.

Find a carer, because it's time.

Well done, well done!

Fuck!

Casanova already regretted having accepted the invitation.

What, then, did he have to look for in Olivo's house?

Why didn't you learn to drive?

I like to be driven.

He would see Amalia again, Olivo's wife,

but it had been a long time.

- What did you do with girls? - What did... what do I do!

Pull over! I'll walk.