PAISAN
On the night of July 10, 1943,
the Allied fleet opened fire
on the southern coast of Sicily.
Twelve hours later, the first large-scale Allied landing
on the European continent had begun.
Under cover of the first shadows of night,
Allied patrols advance into Italian territory.
Ricuzzo! Ricuzzo!
Heavens! Who are you? What do you want?
What do they want?
Maybe they're looking for their buddies.
Your friends left this morning. They're not here.
Willkommen, my friends. They didn't land, did they?
- These are Americans! - What Americans!
If they set foot here, they'll stay here for good - horizontally!
Are you Americans?
Americans!
My son was in Licata until ten days ago.
He was a soldier. Did you hurt him?
My blessed son, with these horrible things happening -
Don't be afraid, ma'am. No one will hurt you.
But what happened here?
Good Lord, he's speaking Italian! Are you Italian like us?
Yes, my father's Sicilian, born in Gela.
Gela? I'm from Gela too. Luca!
This American's from Gela! - Is that what he says?
- The past few days have been awful. - They've bombed all day.
The Germans all left this morning.
We didn't leave the village. We're holding a wake.
Everyone left, even the gravedigger.
We can't leave, we can't go anywhere else.
We can't even lay my daughter-in-law to rest.
- How many Germans left? - The American's from Gela!
- What's your name? - Tony Mascali.
He's not from Gela.
My father really is from Gela. Then he left for America.
There are no Mascalis in Gela.
We're supposed to believe a pack of lies.
So much for freedom!
- When did the Germans leave? - They laid mines everywhere this morning.
- How many Germans were there? - Lots - 3,000 or more.
- Thirty thousand. - Thirty million!
Which direction did they go?
Maybe toward Scopina. North for sure.
- Where are the mines? - Along the coast heading north.
The lava canal's the only way, but it's dangerous at night.
You need a guide like Carmela.
She's gone that way twice looking for her folks.
Come with me.
Come on.
Who'll give me a cigarette?
Carmela, these Americans want to talk to you.
You know the way over the lava?
I go that way every day with lunch for my father.
- Is it a path or a road? - It's lava.
Can someone in your family lead us?
No, my father and brother have been gone for four days.
I tried to leave the church twice to look for them,
but the others are afraid to let me go alone.
I'll take you. I know the way.
You can't go off alone with these strangers!
Where are you going?
- You really coming with us? - Yes.
- Where are you taking the girl? - Let's go, baby.
Carmela, don't go!
Why'd you try to run off?
I didn't come along to look at your pretty faces.
I haven't seen my father and brother in four days. I'm going to look for them.
Good work, Carmela.
Don't worry about your family.
If we find them, we'll bring them back with us.
You stay here. Joe'll keep you company.
Look how cute he is.
Can I go back to the church?
We'll all go back together later.
No light!
What's he saying?
Ah! I'm Carmela.
The ocean...
My father and brother went out to sea. Understand?
It's a good boat, and the sea is calm.
Maybe they didn't come back due to the war.
I'm going to look for them. You stay here.
You're all alike - you, the Germans, the Fascists!
You people with guns are all the same!
Ah, stella cadente.
- Comme? - What?
You said comme.
Paisan...
spaghetti...
bambina...
mangiare...
fusillini...
c'est la guerre...
Ah, biondo.
"Comme"? It's the same word in America?
Latte.
Uncle Luca had cows. He sat seven bambini on a cow once.
Sister?
- Why did you shoot? - I saw a light.
Get a grip on your nerves. Everyone's hallucinating lately.
Let's go.
I saw it, I tell you.
Naumann, you see that?
The light could have come from there. - It's possible. Let's have a look.
- A pirate's castle. - What's that?
Make sure no one comes in. Stay here. No, don't come along.
War is like children's games,
except that the bullets are real.
I could get romantic here.
And the Americans?
I was right. A real pirate's den.
You can turn on your flashlight now.
Look, there's even straw for us.
Come on, let's redecorate and set up headquarters.
Shit, it's dark as a cave.
Just the place to break your neck.
- Wait! - Thank God. Got past that one.
Watch your things and quit grumbling.
- And the Americans? - They can take a flying leap.
It's like a glimpse of the afterlife in here.
Look. There's somebody over there.
What are you doing here?
Why you leave village? - I was scared.
What's going on?
- We got something here. - Send her up.
- You scared? - Of the Americans.
No be afraid.
- There's everything here - even people. - What did you find?
We no hurt you. Us friends.
You shine light?
Looks like she forgot how to talk.
Bad sign for a broad.
But what's she doing here?
This could be dangerous.
If the light wasn't hers, there must be someone else here.
Nonsense.
Get a load of that pair, boys.
Enough for the three of us and then some.
Damn all this climbing.
Show me what you rustled up.
What you do here?
You no here because scared. You meet boyfriend, right?
Hands off.
Your boyfriend very stupid not show up.
Me guess right?
I think you have dishonorable intentions.
I'm completely incapable of that right now,
what with the bad food and all this running around.
I think you'd have rather found a barrel of wine.
Both. A barrel of wine and the girl on top.
I'd settle for water. I'm thirsty.
You got a complex? Wouldn't you prefer milk?
We thirsty. You find water?
Good. Very far?
I'll go.
We're in for some surprises tonight, boys.
Of course. Always the gentleman.
- What if she doesn't come back? - She will. We're too good-looking.
Fritz, you think they'll keep advancing?
Will we keep retreating all the way to Palermo?
Retreat? We don't retreat.
Tomorrow we'll counterattack. They'll run like rabbits.
All the way to Egypt - no, all the way to hell.
Bachelors first.
Let's roll for her.
- Three. - Eight.
Twelve.
- Watch out! - The little bitch!
Let's go.
The war advanced quickly through southern Italy.
On September 8th, Allied cannons were trained on Naples.
After crushing German resistance at Salerno,
the Allies landed on the Amalfi Coast,
and a few weeks later, Naples was liberated.
Its port became
the most important logistics center of the war in Italy.
Egyptian fakir defies death! The man of steel!
Step up, folks! Watch him leap and spin!
He could break his neck, but he never does!
Watch his stunts!
Joe, gimme something.
- Wow! - He's amazing!
- Pasquale, you leaving? - We're not making nothin' here.
We gotta get this stuff out of here.
I'm going down to the port to pick up some dough.
- And leavin' us here? - You should learn to eat fire.
Look at that dirty Arab!
Fire-eaters make a lot of dough!
Get your taralli here!
Gimme a light, will ya?
Hey, wanna make 50 lira?
- Two hundred. - One hundred.
- No, 200. - 150.
Okay. What do I do?
Stay here and look out for the police.
They're buying a Negro over there.
Look at these shoes. I got a hundred lire off him.
Look at his jacket!
- Why don't you take his shoes? - And you take his jacket!
Wait a minute! 3,000 lire!
I'll give you 3,000 and two packs of cigarettes.
Get out of here!
Here's 3,000.
I already outbid you!
- Get lost! 3,000's enough! - It's 'cause I'm just a kid.
The MPs! Run for it!
The MPs!
Long live Orlando!
Go on in, Joe.
The Roman senator, great leader of the knights!
Take up arms, Christians,
and fight the black Saracen!
God calls us.
We seek not riches! - Justice and civilization!
Death to the Moors!
Hey, sit down!
I, fair Orlando,
shall fight you, the black Moor.
Come on, move your feet!
Come and get it!
You got it backwards. Give it to me.
This is a house key,
but the doors are all wide open, so the key's useless.
You sang good, but I didn't like your song.
What are you doing?
What's with you?
He's gone nuts!
An airplane!
What are you saying?
If you go to sleep, I'll steal your shoes.
Take it, you ugly mug!
I told you not to go to sleep!
- Where's your home? - I ain't got one.
Joe, here are your shoes.
These are good soles.
I don't understand.
Where are your mama and papa?
My mama and papa are dead. The bombs.
Understand?
A long and tragic delay at Cassino.
On February 22, 1944,
the Allies landed at Anzio.
Rome waited anxiously.
After a series of long, bloody battles,
the Germans were crushed.
Kesserling's troops retreat through the streets of Rome.
SIX MONTHS LATER
American cigarettes. Come on, you smokers.
Singles or packs.
American cigarettes, singles or packs.
What do you want?
That ugly witch has been staring at us all night!
You're not much to look at!
What's wrong with you?
That hillbilly!
Me?
Why, you slob! You'll starve when these guys leave.
No more little hats. You'll be in rags, like before.
The cops!
She's a little tramp!
My papers are in order. They're in there. Just hold on!
Stop her!
- Your ticket? - Just for a moment, miss.
Where are you going?
Did you see a blond woman in a fur?
No.
- Thanks. - It was nothing.
No, thanks. You keep it.
It's just one flight up.
- Ah, it's you. - Evening. May I?
He's drunk.
Don't worry. He'll fall right asleep.
Let's hope he doesn't cause a ruckus.
Damn it! They tore my dress.
Your MPs are real louts.
Why'd you bring them along?
Is it cold like this in America?
Did you come from the front?
Aren't you gonna get undressed, sweetheart?
Your clothes.
You're afraid 'cause I ran off, but my papers are in order.
Warm me up a little.
What's wrong?
You should be ashamed, a young man like you.
If you don't like me, you should have said so.
You stood around staring for two hours.
You had lots to choose from.
Yes, Rome is full of girls like me.
Water, please.
To wash up.
Come in.
All the pipes are broken.
Ah, finally!
I'm afraid it's not very cool.
We've had no water for two weeks.
Not a glass. Lots of water to wash my face.
I'm sorry. I misunderstood.
This way, please.
This is the only soap we have. It's not very good.
Here's a towel.
Take your time.
I like Italian girls...
their language, their eyes,
their hair, their figures.
"When the thief saw the policeman,
he turned the corner and ran."
I have nothing to offer you.
Happy?
We waited so long for you.
What took you so long getting here?
I don't understand.
Why so long to get to Rome?
Very hard.
Yes, you're here.
- Afraid? - Not afraid.
Happy... very happy.
It hardly seems true.
It's been so awful.
So awful.
Not awful. Lovely.
It's lovely here. Rome's lovely. Everything's lovely.
You're lovely.
Chocolate!
You're leaving?
Come back.
Why didn't you look for her?
Don't you remember the fountain in the middle of the square?
Francesca's house was red,
with a large doorway, larger than all the others.
She's become just like you.
No, not her.
There are lots of good, decent girls
who are working, who've worked all along,
who've managed to fend off hunger and poverty.
She's one of them.
It's still there.
But it's not in blossom like it was that day.
I know where Francesca's house is.
On the Piazza dei Quiriti, No. 8.
Go to her tomorrow.
You'll find her. She's waiting for you.
Tomorrow... you and Francesca...
Signora Amelia.
Coming. Just a moment.
- Leaving already? - Yes.
When he wakes up tomorrow, give him this address.
Please don't forget. - Don't worry.
- Remind him to go there. - Don't worry.
- Here you are. - Thanks.
- Antonio, what time is it? - 10:30.
- No one came looking for me? - No, no one.
Pursued by the Allies,
German troops flee through Lazio, Umbria, and Tuscany.
Fighting flares up again for a while
in the hills around Florence.
But in early August, Eighth Army troops liberated
the part of the city south of the Arno River.
North of the river, Italian partisans
fought German troops and Fascist snipers.
We're injured, Doctor.
Tonino, what beautiful girls!
If I'd have known, I'd have gotten injured earlier.
Miss, my eye hurts.
Does that hurt?
Let's have a look.
Don't worry. Everything will be fine.
- You speak Italian? - I lived in Florence a few years.
I was an idiot to get wounded.
Me and nine other men were up in the woods.
We were feeling great. We'd had a good rest
after that fighting on the Arno.
- The Arno. Where? - In Florence.
We waited a good while for the English to show up.
- So the English are in the city? - Yes. Didn't you know?
Yes.
But since they stopped on this side of the Arno,
and there was nothing more we could do,
we went and joined them.
- When did you leave Florence? - Two days ago.
By now they've occupied the other side of the city.
No, the Germans blew up every bridge but the Ponte Vecchio,
but they blew up the buildings on both ends of that one.
- Where do you live in Florence? - I don't. I live near Lucca,
but I joined the Arno Valley brigade because they needed men badly.
But don't you have friends or acquaintances in Florence?
Why? Do you know somebody?
Yes. I had lots of good friends.
Tell me, did you ever meet a Guido Lombardi, a painter?
Everyone knows him!
I'd so like to see him. Would it be hard to find him?
Hard? More like impossible!
He's our leader, but he's a phantom right now.
Everyone talks about him, but no one knows where the famous Lupo is.
Lupo?
Boys, we're here.
They got you too?
They got him good!
Just one shot and he fell like a sack of potatoes.
Did you get a look at these American girls?
Don't look so glum. You'll see your little wife again.
Has anyone heard anything about Lupo?
Some say he's wounded, others say he's not.
Some say he's in town, others say he's not.
But he did a first-rate job in Florence. - I'll say.
With my help, of course.
I'd organized everything to a T.
Especially before the Germans moved in. We could operate in broad daylight.
- Any word about Lupo? - Nothing certain.
He's fighting up in Mugnone with other partisans.
I heard he was wounded,
but who can be sure what's going on over there?
Papa's the only one left at home.
- British trucks have arrived. - Really?
Ma'am, do you recognize me? I live across the street from you.
It's the end of the world, my boy. We've sinned so badly.
Have you seen my wife and son?
Can't you see the state the poor woman's in?
- You're her son, right? - What of it?
You must have word from across the river.
How could we? We have other things to worry about.
Massimo!
Harriet! How strange to find you here.
How long have you been in Italy?
I'll tell you later. You know where Guido is?
Don't you know he's become a famous partisan leader, "the Wolf"?
He's fighting across the river. - I have to see him.
I have to get across to see my family. We can try together.
The first newspaper printed in Florence!
Lupo wounded in Mugnone!
Give me a paper!
Look, Papa. Lupo's really been wounded.
Those rats! The greatest young man in the world.
- You knew him? - Of course. We were friends.
When I was small, he did a portrait of me this big.
He was a fine painter too. Really good.
Keep down!