it's late, clara. sorry, but i wasn't able to let you know i wouldn't be corning.  go to sleep now. sleep.
and what'd you tell her?
she phoned just to say that?
no. sleep. go to sleep.
father, at my house we don't even eat at noon. that's why i'm always sleepy. that's what the vet says.
can i.
and turn into a piece of charcoal!!
can i have it?
then why didn't you put these back when you wound up the films again?
so i can have these?
what sort of deal is this? the strips are mine! so why can't i come see them?
bang! bang! bang! shoot first, think later! this is no job for weaklings! treacherous dog!
hey there, you lousy bastard, take your hands off that gold, you black- hearted pig, stay away from me, or i'll smash your face in! 'ntantatah!!!.  ma, if the war's over, how come daddy's never come back?
i don't remember him any morema, where's russia?
i bought a ticket. i've come to see the film.
no.
somebody stole it.
fifty lire.
ouch! ouch! my foot! i can't walk!
alfredo, did you know my father?
alfredo, now that i'm older, i'm not saying i can start coming to the projection booth, to the movie house. but. maybe, why don't we become friends?
but you don't have any kids!!!
daddy's not coming back. he's dead.
signora anna!
your wife told me to bring you this.
i told my mother you weren't the one who gave me the films. that it wasn't your fault. but i thought you said the film could catch fire just to scare me. now that i know, i won't steal any more from you. that's all i wanted to say. i'm going.
then why don't you want to teach it to me too? now that there's no more cranking, and it's easier?
then why don't you change jobs?
no.
but don't you like anything about what you do?
alfredo, go fuck yourself!!!
it tastes wonderful!
ok, alfredo.
will they really find work in germany?
peppinoooo! come back sooon!! good thing germany's closer than russia.
why can't we show the same film tomorrow?
too bad!
wonderful! but how can it be done?
alfredo, it's beautiful.
good for you, alfredo!
sure, sure!
alfredo! heeeelp! help!!!
come in, alfredo.
yes. signora anna. i'm glad you came.
ok. ok. but now that i've got a job, i'11 probably stop going.
why? what do you mean?
yes. i want proof.
don ciccio, i've got an idea. you remember that old abandoned movie house where they're supposed to build those low-rent houses?
the projector's all rusty, but i could fix it in two or three days. give the place a good cleaning, put in some seats and bring in a projectionist and we'll show catene in two houses.
who says we need two copies?
now get running and bring me the first reel. meanwhile i'll start showing the news!
what can i do?
boccia! boccia!
boccia, what's wrong? damn you, what are you doing?
what'd i tell you? it doesn't catch fire!
you know that one there?
look, you dropped this.
my name's salvatore. and yours?
i. i. the other time at the station.
that's right, modern times.
yes.
it's people in the slaughter-house killing a calf. there's blood all over the floor, like a lake. and through this lake another calf passes by on its way to die.
nothing, there's nothing. it's all out of focus.
yes, it's a girl i saw at the station.
she's nice. my age. slender, with long hair, brunette. she had big blue eyes, a simple expression and a little beauty mark on her lip, but really tiny. you can only see it close-up. and when she smiles. she makes you feel.
what you say is wonderful! but sad.
stinking two-timer!!
hi, elena!
no particular reason.  nice day, huh?
bye-bye, elena. . what an idiot! what an idiot! 'nice day'! christ!!
you probably don't believe me, but i'm going to become the leading man in your life. sure, i don't look like marlon brando, but look at me, really look at me. am i really so ugly? so should i try once more? maybe it'll succeed. what do you say?
hello, can i speak to elena, please?
is that you, elena?
oh, i'm sorry, i didn't recognize your voice. this is salvatore, remember?
listen, i know that every time we see each other i make a fool of myself, but i'm not like that, i swear. it's just that when i see you, i feel shy, the right words don't come to me, i don't have the courage to say that all i do is think about you.  that's right, elena, you're the last thing i think of when i go to sleep and the first when i wake up in the morning. and at night i always dream of you. i know, it's not good on the phone. but please, don't get me wrong. because i love you very much.
but excuse me, who's speaking?
i'm sorry, signora, maybe there's a misunderstanding. i.
but why? there must be some way to make her understand!
stop it! i've had enough of your sermons! you act as if you created the world!
you see, it s like i say. you always have an answer for everything.
no! you mean right at the end?
i'll be damned'
we'll talk about that later.
sssssh, be quiet, pretend everything's normal. i'm salvatore.
forgive me, elena. it was stupid of me. but i had to talk to you.
you're so beautiful, elena. that's what i wanted to tell you. when i meet you, i can't put two words together because. you give me the shivers. i don't know what you do in these situations, what you're supposed to say. it's the first time. but i think i'm in love with you.
i absolve you in the name of the father, the son and the holy ghost. go in peace, my daughter. when you laugh, you're even more beautiful.
i don't care. i'll wait.
for you to fall in love with me too. listen carefully. every night, when i get off work, i'll come and wait beneath your window. every night. when you change your mind, open your window. that's all. i'll understand.
that's nothing to do with it, it's the car that's still being run in.
hello, dr mendola. hem.
just so, alfredo. there isn't any. and if you buy a television set, you can watch it at home, without any fuss.
could it be your father doesn't like the work i do. that my family's too poor. is that it?
but we're opening the outdoor movie theatre this summer. what will i do all this time without seeing you?!
elena. elena. elena.
when will this shitty summer be over? in a film it'd already be finished.  . fade-out and cut to a nice thunderstorm!!! huh? that'd be perfect!
elena!. but when.
the army says that, as a war orphan, i don't have to serve in the military, but nothing can be done. it's a bureaucratic error. i have to leave. day after tomorrow morning. they're sending me to rome. but they'll discharge me ten days later. let's go.
good, this way we can finally talk. i'll convince him this time.
who?
no, alfredo, i was coming to help you.
alfredo, i need your help!
open up! open up! elenaaa!
i'm here! take it easy! take it easy! sit down, sit down.  did she come?
radio operator di vita salvatore! third battalion, ninth company, sir!!!
aaaaaaah! heeeeeelp!!
colonel, i was supposed to spend ten days here and it's been about a year, and i haven't ever gone borne. i'd like a furlough, at least!
elena. elena. elena.
they tell me you never go out, never talk to anybody. why?
at the christmas party the lieutenant pinches a girl's ass. the girl turns around: it's the daughter of the commanding officer. the lieutenant is scared to death and says: 'miss, if your heart is as hard as what i have just touched, i'm done for!
no. and nobody knows where she is.
listen to this one. the commander says to the sergeant: 'you remember that windmill that used to be there?' 'yes, sir, i remember the mill's gone but the wind's still there!' you remember the story of the soldier and the princess?
now i understand why the soldier went away just before the end. that's right, just one more night and the princess would have been his. but she, also, could not have kept her promise. and. that would have been terrible, he would have died from it. so instead, for ninety-nine nights at least he had lived with the illusion that she was there waiting for him.
who said that? gary cooper, james stewart, henry fonda? huh?
thanks for all you've done for me.
they're always writing to me saying they want to come to rome!
no, mamma, it only takes an hour by air, you know.
how long's it been shut?
but why do you call me 'mr. di vita'? it didn't used to be that way.
fine. but i warn you, there isn't much to see. i sell much more smoke than fire.
i don't know, filippo. i don't know.
a double whisky, please.
excuse me, miss.  i'm so sorry, i thought you were someone else.
i was thinking. that we've never talked, mamma. when i was little i saw you as if you were already old. that's probably true with all kids.  who knows? but only now do i realize you were young, you were beautiful, had a whole life before you. but how.  . how could you have lived alone all that time, with no one to look after you? you could have remarried. why not? at the time i probably wouldn't have understood, but i would have later.
no. it's nothing to do with you. it's just that i was scared of coming back. now, after all these years, i thought i was strong, that i had forgotten lots of things. instead, i find it's quite the opposite, as if i had never left. and yet, i look at lia and feel as if i didn't know her, and you, mamma. i abandoned you, ran away like a thief, thought only of myself, and never gave you an explanation.
you never used to do that!
boccia!
his last name was lo meo, vincenzo.
i'd like to speak to signora elena.
salvatore.
di vita. salvatore di vita. do you remember? elena, i'm here, in the bar, across the street from your house.
elena. i'd like to see you. let's meet.
please, don't say no.  .
how'd you know i'd be here?
you're still beautiful.
alfredo died. do you remember him?
i saw your daughter. she's beautiful! who knows how many salvatores must be running after her.
no. and i'm not married. (elena sits there in silence. a veil of sadness clouds her eyes.
sure, sure! boccia.  what's he do?
and. how come you never married that guy from tuscany?
but i've never forgotten you, elena!
what do you mean, you were waiting for me?! what are you saying? the last time we saw each other, we made a date to meet at the cinema paradiso. you remember? and you didn't come, you disappeared without leaving a trace, nothing! i'll tell you how many years have gone by: more than thirty!!!
alfredo, damn him! he cast his spell on you too!
oh, how i looked for you, elena! you'll never know. i wrote, telephoned, nothing. nobody ever answered. but i dreamt of you for years! that's why i went away. and never came back here. even as the years passed, in all the women i met, i was only looking for you. i had success it's true, but there was always something missing.  i'd never have imagined that all this had to end because of the man who was like a father to me. a crazy lunatic!
but i never saw that note! i must have covered it with my hand, without realizing it, that's the only explanation.
did he ever think of meeting me?
this afternoon. elena, in the future maybe we could.
i'll never agree with you. never, elena.
please check the splices. as soon as you're ready you can start.
thanks.
well?
It's all right. We'll talk about it later.