A FILM BY JERZY KAWALEROWICZ
CO-PRODUCERS
SPONSORS
SCREENPLAY BY JERZY KAWALEROWICZ
BASED ON THE NOVEL BY HENRYK SIENKIEWICZ
Marcus Vinicius
Lygia
Petronius
Nero
Chilo the Greek
WITH
MAKE UP
COSTUMES
SOUND
EDITED BY
INTERIOR DESIGN
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
PRODUCTION MANAGER
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
MUSIC
PRODUCTION DESIGNER
PHOTOGRAPHY
PRODUCER
DIRECTED BY
During 60 A.D., the Roman Empire spread from North Africa, embracing
Mediterranean, until the tip of Brittany. The Northern region included the Rhine
and the Danube Rivers from which Lygians thrived.
Thirty years prior, Jesus Christ was crucified
Christianity was gaining steady momentum
in addition to a growing number of followers.
Nero was the current ruler of the Roman Empire
He was described as being despotic and arrogant.
In addition, Nero also sought recognition for his attempts at art
His good friend, Petronius, was a known poet, and a fashion trendsetter.
PART 1
Marcus Vinicius, your sister's son
-arriving from Asia Minor. -Let him in.
Greetings, Petronius. May gods
send you blessings, especially Asklepios and Kypris.
Welcome in Rome. Kypris has already blessed me
with a twitching in the leg. What is new in Armenia?
The war could bring us defeat, if it weren't for Corbulo.
Corbulo, a true god of war. A righteous fool.
I like him. He makes Nero tremble.
He is not a fool.
Perhaps. Wisdom is no better or different from foolishness.
This is what is best in life.
But you also love war which I despise.
Bronzebeard loves his own singing and his own verses.
You don't write poetry?
- I don't. - Strum the lute? Sing?
- I don't. - I'm at ease, then.
It is commendable to write verses,
but it's much better not to write, play or sing,
one should just admire Bronzebeard at doing it.
Welcome.
Greetings.
You risk one thing, though: Poppaea might fall for you.
- I come to seek advice. - Hit by Cupid's arrow?
I twisted my ankle
on my way to Rome,
and spent several days at Aulus Plautius house.
- If you fell for his wife... - No, not Pomponia.
They call her Lygia or Callina, which is her barbarian name.
Once, at daybreak, she was bathing naked in the fountain,
and I saw the rays of dawn passing through her body
So she is as transparent as a baby sardine?
Don't joke. I'm madly in love.
My peace is gone, I crave no women, gold or feasts... I want Lygia.
Buy her, if she is a slave.
She is a hostage. Daughter of a Lygian king.
I want to thank you for sheltering my nephew.
Gratitude has lead me here, as well as the fact
that you never visit the Circus
- or the Amphitheatre. - Old people grow fond of home.
Let us listen to that laughter.
- Aulus and Lygia are playing ball. - Laughter,
seems to be your life's goal.
Life is a joke, therefore I laugh.
"Art thou mortal or divine?"
"Were thou born in earthly nest, be thy parents doubly blest"
"blest thy brethren"... - "A man of value,"
"and a man of wit."
To hear Homer's verse from a young maid's lips...
Our boy has a Greek tutor.
She listens to their lessons.
I cannot speak poetically, like Petronius
I cannot organize my words
They say,
the key to happiness is sharing the gods' desires.
But I suspect the existence
of a different and greater joy,
that only love
may bring.
Gods seek that joy,
so...
I follow them, but having not known love,
I also seek the one who would make me happy.
Can't you guess why I'm telling this to you?
I cannot.
How different is your world from the one ruled by our Nero.
The world is ruled by God, not Nero.
You believe in the gods, Pomponia?
I believe in one God,
who is just and almighty.
She believes in one almighty God
I do not. I agree that each woman has three or four souls.
None of them reasonable.
But I praise your choice. She reminds me of Spring.
I desire her more than ever.
If I could kill Aulus and Pomponia and abduct her.
Another sleepless night...
I'll have one of my slaves flogged and listen to his moans.
A simpleton's desires.
I must have her. If you don't find a way,
I'll find it myself.
I shall think about it.
Wait in the litter.
I see in your eyes a flame consuming your soul, my lord.
- Can you read fortunes? - A coin, and you'll learn
Love... and death... are walking by your side.
You will offend gods. Fire will consume more than your soul.
Go away.
- This is for you. - Thank you.
- "Satyricon"... whose is it? - Mine. But that's a secret.
You said you didn't write verse, but I see not only prose here.
Nero is the reason poetry makes me nauseous.
Some tickle their throat with a flamingo's feather,
I read Nero's verses. Instant relief.
Though heart remains heavy, the stomach is light.
Greetings and orders from Caesar.
I am grateful for the greetings and shall obey the orders.
Aulus Plautius, you shelter Lygian king's daughter,
who was offered as a pledge
for the safety of our boundaries.
I am to take her by orders of the divine Nero.
Wait here, Hasta.
Lygia?
We love you, as you were our own.
But guardianship over hostages is the Caesar's privilege.
I would rather see her die.
I shall implore Caesar to change his orders.
He can't have remembered her.
Petronius...
Cursed be the day when they entered our house.
Farewell, our joy.
I'll see Seneca.
Maybe he will plead for you.
Domina, let me go with her
and guard her at the court.
You serve her, not us. But how...?
I have hands that crush iron.
I can give you one word of advice, Plautius
that I'm sorry for you
and I, Seneca, want to help
if Caesar had the smallest doubt, he wouldn't give you Lygia
from one reason to be cruel to me
you were silent the entire time, and Caesar doesn't like that
you lack security, which those of us close to Caesar have
Nero loved you for your loyalty and for spreading his name
he loved me because I was his teacher of youth
that's why I drink the water with ease that isn't poisoned
wine in my home would be less likely
that water comes from the Alps, and in order to poison it
all the fountains in Rome would have to be poisoned
You see, you could be safe here and have a secure retirement
I'm sick emotionally, but it's not my body
I know how Caesar repaid you for your protection
during his youth
Petronius took our child, and not Caesar
Petronius and I come from two different spectrums
he's very independent
perhaps, though he is cynical, he is worth it more than the others
who seek Caesar
but to show him that he fulfilled a bad deed, is just a waste of time
Where is Lygia? Speak! What have you done?!
I'm a cripple at dawn only, dusk restores my flexibility.
You seem to have been trained by a weaver
and taught etiquette by a blacksmith.
You have a iron grip, but if you've betrayed me,
you'll taste the steel of my knife. Where is she?!
I asked the Caesar two favours:
to take her from Aulus' house and to give her to you.
Where's your knife?
You'll end in prison and Lygia will pine away at your house.
So you didn't want her
for yourself or Caesar?
Tigellinus is Caesar's panderer, and if I wanted her,
I wouldn't hide it.
Why hasn't she been sent to my house?
For the sake of appearances. Officially, we took her as a hostage.
When comments at the court stop,
she will be sent secretly to your house.
could you relax so that I could tell you my philosophy
I took away Aulus' Lygia and gave her to you
You are both beautiful, therefore my thought was beautiful
being beautiful, one cannot be mad, because
a bad deed is awful, pureness in beauty
look, in front of you is pureness within Petronius
Pomponia asks me to watch over you. I shall,
but don't make the Caesar angry.
He wants me to prepare you for the feast now.
You're so good, Acte.
I am not evil,
though my happiness and joy have faded away.
The Caesar used to be good, but people made him evil.
Poppaea.
You still love him, Acte?
Nobody else does.
You'll meet him at the feast.
Ask Petronius and Vinicius
to persuade him you should be sent back home.
You are a hundred times prettier than Poppaea.
What a divine country
is home of such beauties?
I don't remember it...
but Ursus tells me there are forests everywhere.
We are to sit here.
Greetings,
the most beautiful one.
Greetings, divine one.
Greetings, Marcus.
My eyes are truly blessed.
Ave Caesar!
I knew I'd see you here
in the name of God
When I saw you, I became joyful
as if I encountered good-luck
I love you.
- Let me go. - Love me too, my divinity.
Caesar is watching.
You're no longer at his side,
and you are getting blind,
so how can you see him?
He's looking through his emerald.
Petronius? Is that the hostage Vinicius has fallen for?
That's the one.
He considers her beautiful?
I read the verdict in your face. Too thin.
And you have noticed
her flaw: too narrow in the hips.
Too narrow... in the hips.
- I keep Caesar's side. - Good!
I say you're not utterly dull,
while Caesar considers you a pure-bred ass.
I dreamt
I was a Vestal virgin.
After four divorces? In a dream.
And if Caesar commanded?
Habet.
Poppaea!
- Hail, divine Augusta! - Welcome, divinity!
Hail, divine Poppaea!
I saw you naked, at the fountain.
You thought nobody was watching, but I saw you
and I still see you like that, though now you are dressed
Cast the robe away. Take it off, like Crispinilla did.
Before the guests get drunk,
dignify the feast with a song.
The gods know what those performances cost me...
But since Apollo
blessed me with a gift, I shouldn't waste it.
Though my sore throat...
- Don't be cruel, sing! - Do sing, oh Caesar! Please!
For you...
I sing, oh my only one.
In pain...
I offer you my song...
You are away, oh woe me! The lilies don mourning,
Water grows bitter with poison,
Wine turns into vinegar. Come, make lilies
white again, Give water back its taste,
And let wine regain its nectaric sweetness.
As to the music, envy should make Orpheus
as green as Lucan is now.
As to the verses...
Pity they are not worse,
because then I could find fitting words of praise.
Some say Rome will die, others say that Rome is already dying
Who's saying that?
thirty armies are threatening our borders
maybe even thirty two
Beautiful hands... Oh, what beautiful hands!
I've seen
hands like those. But whose?
My mother's!
My mother's... Agrippina's...
They say
she walks in the moonlight... at the sea,
off Baiale and Bauli... as if in search for something...
and whoever looks upon her, dies.
Quite a theme.
I had to... I had to kill her...
because she hired a murderer to slaughter me.
If I hadn't acted faster, you wouldn't have heard me
Lygia.
- Give me your lips. - Leave me alone!
Caesar
- took you away for me! - Acte! Acte!
I shall send for you tomorrow.
I can't wait any longer.
You have to be mine. Here, now, immediately!
Give me your lips!
Let her go, Marcus!
Lygia...
Lygia!
Did you hear what Vinicius said?
He said that he will take me away
Do you think it is safer in Caesar's palace than Vinicius' home?
I will never stay here or Vinicius' home, never!
You hate him that much?
I am not allowed to hate
do your studies allow you to impose death?
No!
then how could you impose revenge on Aulus' home?
my God bless them
If he loves you, he should ask Aulus for your hand.
I'd rather go back to the Lygians.
- Who is that slave? - She's not a slave, divine Augusta.
She is a hostage raised by Pomponia Graecina.
- And she has come to visit you? - She's been moved to the palace.
By whose order?
Caesar's.
-did you speak to Caesar? -No, Augusta
You prefer to live here?
That is not my choice. I am to be offered to Vinicius.
- Like a slave. - So Caesar
- promised you to Vinicius? - Yes, my lady.
Plead for me, send me back.
You have my word...
that you shall become Vinicius' slave tonight.
- And if the plan fails? - Pray to your God for help.
Greetings from Marcus Vinicius.
He is waiting at his house decorated in green.
I am going.
Yesterday you were drunk and acted like a mason.
Promise her, be it even in Hades' name,
that she'll go back to Pomponia, but persuade her to stay.
It's been five years I've been
treating Chrysothemis like this, and can't say she's cruel.
It's time they were here!
He's ready to run out and miss them halfway.
They should be here!
- Oh, my lord! - Have mercy!
- Where's Lygia? - We fought...
- Where is she? - See the blood...
- Where?! - We defended her...
- Have mercy! - Everyone is to be flogged!
A hundred lashes!
If you want to see raw flesh, I'll buy a butcher's shop for you.
End of part one