04x04 - The Earthquake

[bunniefuu]

How's your mom?

- Any better?
- No, I don't think so.

It's hard to tell, she always pretends she's okay.

She's difficult, you know her.

- This one looks better.
- I agree.

This is perfect.

I'm not so sure.

- You look good too, Lenù.
- You think so?

You both look good.

Alfonso, don't give me bad advice.

Would you wear a dress like this?

Lila, only you can wear a dress like that.

Only I can?

Only you.

I need to make sure.

You get me?

I get you perfectly.

Here.

Show me how I look in it.

"How I look in it?" What did Lila mean by that?

I felt cut out of something I didn't understand.

Or that it was better I didn't understand.

A weird complicity,

almost a union of intent between Lila and Alfonso.

Alfonso's tendency to resemble
her, which I had long noted,

became abruptly clear.

Do you like yourself?

What was in play here?

I want to give it to you.

Thank you.

If Michele sees me like this, he'll go nuts.

Michele's lost his mind,

and Alfonso does his own thing.

What do you mean?

Still pretending we don't know?

Come to Basic with me, I'll show you the office.

Then you can go to your mother's.

I gotta go.

You meeting him?

No, I promised the girls I'd be home early.

You're scared to talk to me.

- As if.
- But you are.

I tell you everything I do,

but you seem to have a double identity:

one for me and one for home.

Why do you say that, what does it mean?

It means what I said.

You know what I'm talking about.

There are names you don't say anymore.

You say, "I gotta go home, I'm busy tomorrow."

What? Have I made you uneasy?

Does it bother you?

Why don't you wanna know what I think?

Gigliola!

- Where are you two off to?
- Just out for a walk.

- Are you well?
- You bet! Can't you tell?

Michele's an animal.

Believe me.

Know what he yelled at me
when I threatened to k*ll myself?

"Why don't you just do it?

Jump off the balcony and die right away."

Don't listen to him.

Then when he wanted to make up,

he'd stuff wads of 100,000 lire bills into my bra

and then shove it into me.

And that was that.

You were right, Lila,

to get him to pay you heaps, then tell him, "So long."

And if you'd ripped him off, even better.

He has to die cursed, that piece of sh*t!

Calm down, Gigliola.

If you don't pay him any
attention, he'll lose his mind.

If you show him you're doing just fine without him,

he'll bash his head against the wall.

That's right, make him die cursed!

What month are you?

Sixth.

Sixth?

Time flies, doesn't it?

Some women keep their babies inside forever,

they don't want to give birth to them.

You're one of those.

She's in her sixth month too.

Good, because Michele
suffers when he sees your belly,

so make it last as long as you can,

we'll make him drop dead.

I gotta go now, I have so much to do.

Let's see each other more
often, like when we were girls.

- What's wrong with my belly?
- Nothing.

- And me?
- Nothing, don't worry.

I don't know what's happening.

- This thing's so big.
- Let's not exaggerate.

It's not that big yet.

But it pulls me, it pushes me.

It annoys me, it makes me feel weak.

You can get dressed.

I told you from the start, it's all going smoothly.

- Are you sure everything's all right?
- Quite sure.

So what's wrong with me?

Nothing to do with your pregnancy.

- Then, what is it?
- Your head.

My head?

Your friend Nino was full of praise for it.

He told me about you two.

He has a lot of respect, affection.

Lila, don't be like this.

Why didn't you tell me she was a friend of Nino's?

- I should look for another gynecologist.
- Don't. She's very good.

Besides, we come together.

Your lover is certainly not my friend.

And in my view, he's not your friend either.

What do you mean?

Forget it.

Already in the past Lila had shown me

she knew things about him I didn't know.

Now she was suggesting

there were other facts known to her but not to me.

Hi.

Where are the girls?

They're in Florence.

Right.

Didn't you know?

Yes, I completely forgot.

Shall I make you something?

No, thanks, I've already
eaten. I'll keep you company.

I've finished.

There was no need to talk about our business,

especially about Lila,

with your colleague's wife.

What are you talking about?

The gynecologist seems to know a lot about us,

who told her?

Do you think I go telling Rossella our business

when I've only seen her twice in my life?

If Rossella were a man you
wouldn't say intimate things.

But with women you only speak intimately.

Are we having a jealous episode?

What would be wrong with that?

I can't even be jealous?

I'm not saying that, but it's as if...

Who am I to you? Explain it to me.

Why am I in this city?

Why do I wait for you every
night and put up with this situation?

Tell me.

What's this got to do with the gynecologist?

I want to know...

It's impossible to broach this subject with you.

I'm not jealous of the gynecologist,

but to come across as
likeable, you indulge in small talk.

I'm tired, I'm going to bed.

The suspicion that Lila's remark

alluded to something real stayed with me.

I counted on talking to her

and gradually getting closer to
the question closest to my heart:

what did she know about Nino that I did not know?

Hello.

I'm looking for Lila Cerullo. Is she busy?

I'm waiting for her too.

Lenù!

Don't you recognize me?

Rino?

It's been ages!

So it's true you came back to Naples.

Yeah, it's been a while.

- How are you?
- I've been busy as a beaver.

Computers are big business here, they're big money.

I control everything, you know, right?

No, I didn't know.

As if my b*tch of a sister would ever speak well of me!

Look how long she makes me wait.

She doesn't consider me, her own flesh and blood!

How she's changed!

She gets me to come on a Sunday and makes me wait.

She thinks she's the boss of
Naples, but I'll make her pay!

She's always treated me like the last as*h*le!

What's wrong?

She's making me spit blood.

Wait! Where are you going?

What are you doing here?

What are you doing here, Antonio?

I have to speak to Lila.

Wait.

Why are you here?

Nothing, I had to ask Lila something.

Now you work for her too?

Do you really care about what
we do in the neighborhood?

Are you being modest?

You know I read your book in German?

In German!

I told everyone you were my
friend, from my neighborhood.

In Germany only you bought it.

- No, you're famous.
- It's not true.

Your wife? Your kids?

All good.

We live the way we have to, but the kids are great.

You're with Sarratore, right?

You know a lot about Nino.

We all respect you here...

I gotta go now.

Lenù!

Come in.

- We'll go in a minute.
- Yeah.

How come Antonio works for you?

What does he do?

My things.

- Don't worry about it.
- Didn't he work for the Solaras?

What's all that got to do
with you? Don't worry about it.

Rino was waiting for you, he left.

He's not well, what's wrong with him?

It's best if you forget about my brother.

Are you busy today?

The girls are with their father in Florence.

Enzo went to visit relatives in
Avellino and he took Gennaro.

Let's spend the day at my place.

I'm sick of being in here.

It's nice here.

Yeah.

- Good morning.
- Have a good Sunday.

Signora Lila, good morning.

- Can I offer you something?
- No, I might come later but I'll pay.

I hope business went well.

Good morning, Lila.

This is my grandson Maurizio, that I told you about.

Good morning, signora.

Good morning.

Send him to my office, we'll see what we can do.

May Our Lady reward you.

Thank you so much.

Li!

My mom's worried about Peppe and Gianni too.

She asked me if by any chance
you need help in the office.

No, Lenù.

I can't take them with me.

Rino's enough.

Not to mention all the risks Gennaro
runs in this sh*t neighborhood.

What risks?

Don't you see what it's like here?

Come.

Where are you going?

It's Sunday.

I remembered when Lila, as a girl,

walked into the Solaras' bar to challenge them.

She hadn't changed.

- What can I get you?
- No, I'll wait my turn.

There's no need, go ahead.

- The usual?
- Yes.

- No beignets, Gennaro's not here.
- As you wish.

- Please.
- Thank you.

How much is it?

You want the Solara brothers to kick me out?

If you don't let me pay, I'll leave the pastries.

Then they'll fire you for sure.

Don't get mad, I apologize.

I don't want anything from anyone.

If I want something, I take it.

All right, how much is the lady paying?



But now she was challenging
the Solaras in business too.

What did she do to become so strong

and so well respected by everyone?

What did she give in exchange for such respect?

Let's go.

Goodbye.

Why does Marcello say you ruined his brother?

What did you do to Michele?

Lenù, you're a lady now,

what do you care about my business,

the neighborhood, your sister and Marcello?

What's wrong?

The baby's moving a lot.

It must be this heavy air.

Mine too. Today it's kicking me so much.

I think we need to get some exercise.

And where will we go?

I can't walk, I'm exhausted.

I'll drive you home later.

No, I'll take the bus, it doesn't take long.

You didn't answer about Marcello.

Marcello...

He's never forgotten what I
did to him when we were kids.

But he's a coward and doesn't say things to my face.

And Michele?

You know what men are like,

they place enormous importance on f*cking.

Michele's crazy, he's obsessed with me.

He even chases the shadow of my shadow.

And that's why he settles for Alfonso.

And that's why Marcello is angry with you.

He says his brother's unreliable,

that I keep him on a leash,

that I get him to do what I say.

Marcello...

He thinks he scares me,

but the only one who scared me was his mother.

And you saw how she ended up.

What's wrong?

I'm hot.

Marcello brought drugs into the neighborhood.

Signora Palmieri's son overdosed two weeks ago.

They found him in the gardens.

My brother Rino... didn't you see him?

He's always full of that junk.

I'm fed up.

I don't want to spend Sunday
talking about the Solara's filth.

Holy Mother, it's moving so much.

It's getting on my nerves.

Lila

tell me what you know about Nino.

Earthquake!

Lila!

Don't touch me!

We gotta go downstairs.

We gotta go downstairs!

Hurry!

If there's another tremor we'll die in here.

The city's dangerous.

Everyone's heading to the
country because it's safer there.

Look at the rats escaping.

Is this your car?

Alfonso.

Antonio!

I feel sick.

- Let me in.
- Go away!

Mamma, where are you going?

What is it?

I don't know how to explain it.

What can I say?

That car...

has become a blur.

Its boundaries have dissolved.

The outlines...

The outlines of things and people are delicate,

they break like a cotton thread.

For me it's always been like this,

an object loses its edges, melts into another thing

and everything merges together.

I can never get distracted

or real things gain the upper
hand and nothing makes sense.

I thought they were moments that came and then went,

like childhood fevers,

like when I told you the copper pot had broken.

Or on New Year's Eve in 1958 when
the Solaras launched fireworks at us.

Do you remember?

The shots didn't frighten me that much.

What frightened me was that

the colors of the fireworks were so sharp

they could have butchered us.

The trails of the rockets scraped over Rino's body,

like b*ll*ts that could open his flesh

and cause another, more
disgusting brother to leak out of him.

All my life I've done nothing,

but shore up moments like those.

Marcello scared me and I
protected myself with Stefano.

Stefano scared me and I
protected myself with Michele,

Michele scared me and I protected myself with Nino,

Nino scared me and I protected myself with Enzo.

If only you knew how many coverings

I made to hide myself.

But they were no use at all.

My head always finds an opening to look through.

This has always been the problem.

My head.

I can't stop it.

I always have to do something, always.

I have to do, undo, cover, recover

and then in the end break, smash.

Take Alfonso, for example.

I've always felt that the cotton thread

that held him together was breaking.

Michele who thought he was all that...

All I had to do

was find his boundary line and pull,

and I broke it.

I broke it,

I tangled it up with Alfonso's.

But it's not much use,

the terror remains, there,

between one normal thing and another,

waiting.

Good feelings are fragile,

love doesn't last with me.

Love for a man doesn't last
and not even love for my children,

it quickly spoils.

Loving comes hand in hand with hating.

Miss Oliviero was right,

I'm wicked, bad,

I'm unable to keep friendship alive.

But you're kind,

and you've always been so patient.

So, please,

if I say ugly things, if I offend you,

cover your ears because I can't help it.

Don't leave me.

Don't leave me or I'll fall down.

No, I won't leave you.

You won't fall, come here.

The fright couldn't take root in me.

All the fear Lila's breakdown instilled in me

arranged itself into orderly sentences,

into harmonious images

where I was always at the center.

I gave myself weight,

I could do that, no matter what.

But Lila struggled to feel stable.

When, in spite of her defensive

engineering of people and things,

the stream prevailed,

Lila lost Lila,

and she, so active,

so courageous,

erased herself, and terrified,

became nothing.

Lila.

I wasn't well and I filled your
head with nonsense. Forgive me.

But for me it was lucky we were together.

You know what I'm like,

every so often something grabs me in my chest.

But it doesn't matter.

And besides it was awful for everyone,

it was never-ending.

Never-ending.

We have no news of anyone.

Enzo, Gennaro? I don't know where they are.

Come.

Kisses.

You got a phone token?

Lemme see.

Yeah, here.

- Thanks.
- No worries.

Call Enzo.

No one's answering.

Who are you calling?

Home, to see if Nino's there.

Call his wife's house.

Do you know where she lives?

Yes, of course.

Let's drive there. I'll get the key.

No, I don't know...

I think Nino will be looking for me.

I'll drive you.

I'll call Pietro.

Hello?

Pietro.

Elena, are you okay?

Did anything happen to you?

I was so scared.

Thank goodness the girls were here.

How are they?

Fine, but you?

I'm fine too.

In Naples the damage seems
limited, but they don't know much yet.

In the Avellino area it was a disaster.

Avellino?

Yeah, Avellino.

Did you say Avellino?

- Enzo and Gennaro are there.
- Really?

Why don't you come here now?

Keep the girls for a few more days,

that's fine by me.

Sure, the girls can stay,
they know everything anyway.

They're still asleep.

- I'll call you soon.
- All right.

Bye.

Everything all right?

Yeah, the girls are fine.

And what did he say about Avellino?

Nothing, don't worry.

Stay calm, please.

- Who are you looking for?
- I'm checking on the Sarratore family.

Sarratore?

Pasquale, see what these ladies want.

- Goodbye.
- Thank you.

- Looking for someone?
- Yeah.

Nino Sarratore. Do you have news of him?

Everybody's gone.

- Who knows where they are now.
- But did you see them?

Sure, the lady and her husband left with their kids.

Do you want to leave a message in case they come back?

No, never mind, thank you.

The world has returned to its place.

Let's go back to the neighborhood.

Enzo!

Mamma!

You can't imagine what we've seen, what happened!

In the Avellino area it's really terrifying.

I'm happy you're here.

- I'm going home.
- What?

Are you crazy? You can't stay inside the house.

Stay in the neighborhood, we'll get set up in the car.

- How can we?
- We'll squeeze in.

Don't worry.

Come, stay here.

I'll find something to eat.

- Hello?
- Elena, are you okay?

Where were you?

I was here.

I called you so many times.

I couldn't stay at home, I stayed on the street.

Where are you?

In Minturno, in Eleonora's family's villa,

her parents are here, her relatives.

When the earthquake hit, I freaked out,

I grabbed my kids and fled.

Sorry, I'm tired, I'll talk to you later.