Why did I never tell Lila what I felt for Nino?
Why did I never shout out to her the pain she caused me?
Why did I never reveal that, before kissing her,
Nino had kissed me?
Shall we go, then?
I don't know, I'm tired.
Me too, I couldn't sleep.
Did Lila say anything to you?
About what?
Well, I'll tell you.
Yesterday I kissed her.
But she's married!
- Why did she marry someone like him? - Because she was in love.
I don't believe it.
She did it for money, to help her family.
To set herself up.
If that's the case she could have married Marcello Solara.
Who's that?
A guy with much more money than Stefano and who was mad about her.
- And her? - She didn't want him.
Do you think things are going well between them?
With Lila things never go well.
What do you mean?
Nino...
If you don't want to suffer worse than you already are,
don't expect anything.
Lila grows cruel when surrounded by affection and respect.
She's always been like that.
You're back.
What's happened?
Pinuccia has gone to Naples.
She yelled that if Rino doesn't want her at home
then he doesn't love her as much as he did.
And so she'd rather die with the baby.
She left with Rino and Stefano.
My poor son...
I'm sorry. I had no idea.
I'll go wash, I'll be right back.
You realize why she wanted to go?
Because she wanted to be with her husband.
She got scared of her feelings.
- She's fallen in love with Bruno. - Pinuccia?
And him?
- He didn't even notice. - Are you sure?
Bruno has his eye on you.
Don't be silly!
Nino told me.
He didn't say anything to me today.
- Did you swim? - We did.
And then? What did you talk about?
A bit of everything.
Even about the thing I told you?
- What thing? - The kiss.
No, he didn't say anything.
Better that way.
I don't want to see him again.
Although dazed, I managed not to say the wrong words.
Nino only wanted to know about Lila and Lila about Nino.
I was consoled by an idea of centrality,
both needed me and I would stay in the middle.
Lenù!
Elena!
I'm here.
Hi, Lenù.
We found her!
Hi.
Why didn't you come to the beach? We waited for you all day.
We had things to do.
Did you know Pinuccia has left?
What a pity we didn't even say goodbye.
- She returned to Naples... - Let's go out tonight.
We'll come pick you up and bring you home.
Lila's mother's here.
We can't leave her alone.
Hi.
Shall we go out tonight?
We'll come and pick you up and bring you back home.
There's no need.
We have to go to Forio anyway, I have to call my husband.
We could get ice cream.
All right. See you later.
- Bye, Lenù. - Bye.
I'm really glad, Lenù.
Bye.
Why did you say yes? You said you didn't want to see him anymore.
Of course I said yes, I have to call Stefano.
What would it look like if we ran into them?
Ran into who?
No one.
I have to call Stefano from the bar.
- Then I'll come too. - What are you coming for?
I want to get out a bit.
Bruno...
- Soccavo. - Ah, Soccavo...
As in the salami factory in San Giovanni a Teduccio?
He's my father actually.
And how's business?
Good, thank God, but I'm not involved that much.
My husband has recently started making shoes.
Mamma.
What did I say?
Pardon?
Are we all having ice cream?
- Yes. - Not me, thanks.
Do it for me, a small cup, just a taste.
All right, a small one.
We'd like four regular cups and a small one.
And some water, if possible. Thank you.
Nino, how's your mother?
Well, she's here on vacation too.
And your father?
I remember when they took you around in a pram.
- Really? - Of course.
Excuse me, I'm going to make my call.
I knew your grandfather too.
God rest his soul.
He got that house after the war.
And now a romantic dance.
If you'll excuse me.
He hasn't gone to pay, has he? I'm the oldest, it's up to me.
No, it's on me, as if I'd let a lady pay!
Very well, thank you.
Good evening, may I?
- May I have the honor of this dance? - Who, me?
Maybe you're mistaken.
Please, humor me.
No, I'm sorry. I can't.
Too bad.
Lenù, is he still looking?
Yes.
He's in love, Cupid has fired his arrows.
Yeah, Cupid...
Cupid!
Please, go and call Lila.
It's all melting here.
Excuse me, the phone?
The booths are at the back.
Thank you.
Lila...
Sorry.
Careful, miss.
The lively conversations faded to distracted sentences,
seeking the way to more private words.
I suffered, but I must admit, with an underlying sense of disbelief
that made the suffering come in waves.
Let's go for a swim.
No, I don't feel like it.
Let's go get some coconut.
- What if someone sees them? - There's no one who can see them.
Leave them be.
Would you care for a cedrata at least?
No.
I saw them as fallen divinities.
Once so clever, so intelligent,
now so stupid, caught up in a stupid game.
Thank you, good night everybody.
What are you going to do when you finish school?
I haven't thought about it.
I'll find a job.
- What would you like to do? - I don't know.
- Why, do you know? - For now I'm at university.
And so?
I have time to think about it.
It's easy for you, you can always work for your father.
Yes, but I'm studying so I can have other opportunities.
You're doing the right thing.
Besides, I wouldn't mind working for my father,
I'd be working in the office, in administration,
not with the workers making sausages.
Is it that interesting?
Yes, but it's stuff that doesn't concern you.
Come on, speak, tell us what it is.
A letter.
- From whom? - From Nadia.
Listen to this.
"When I eat chocolate ice cream, I miss you.
When I hear 'Si è spento il sole' on the radio, I miss you.
When I smell your scent on the shirt you left me, I miss you.
I always miss you.
Night and day."
That's enough, give it back to him.
You're embarrassed, huh?
It's your fault.
How can your girlfriend write this stuff?
When you fall in love with someone,
you don't ask her if she knows how to write a love letter.
Do you love her?
Why?
Because she lives on Corso Vittorio Emanuele?
In a house full of books and old paintings?
Because she's a teacher's daughter?
Enough, give me those pages.
I'll only give them to you if you tear them up in front of us.
And then?
And then we'll all write a letter together
where you say you're leaving her
and we'll post it tonight.
All right.
Let's do it.
Are you really going to tear it up?
Yes, but on one condition.
That you leave your husband.
We'll go to the phone
and you can tell him.
Who do you think you're talking to?
How can you compare the letter
from that little bitch from a good family
with my marriage and my whole life?
You don't understand a thing.
Let's go, Lenù.
- Will I see you tomorrow? - I don't know.
Lenù...
I can't sleep at night anymore.
My head fills with what Nino said and what I want to say to him.
I refrained.
More than once I said that I'm not like Pinuccia,
I can do whatever I want, I can start and stop.
I kept my lips pressed shut, tightly shut.
But then I discovered what a kiss was,
because I didn't know.
I swear to you, I didn't know.
How many things I've missed...
I'm having a fling when in fact I'm married.
Help me.
What shall I do?
Do what you like, I'm going to bed.
Please,
give me some advice.
No, you have to decide yourself.
Did you see what Pinuccia did?
In the end she behaved better than you.
All right.
Tomorrow I won't go to the beach.
I'll wait for Stefano and the day after I'll return to Naples with him.
I decided to go find him, to see him at all costs.
Now that our departure was approaching,
now that the power of seduction Lila had exerted over him
would not envelop him anymore,
now that she had decided to return to the life she belonged to,
the relationship between me and him could start again.
Nino! Bruno!
Lenù! How lucky!
Wait, I'll come down.
Good morning.
Hi, Lenù, I was just coming to look for you.
It only takes a moment to change your life.
I'm going to look for a job, I want to quit studying.
What are you talking about?
Can you give this to Lila?
- What is it? - Just give it to her, don't worry.
- Swear to me you'll give it to her. - It's pointless.
Swear.
I came to tell you we're leaving for Naples tomorrow.
Who decided that?
She did.
I don't believe it.
Stefano's coming this morning and tomorrow we leave for Naples.
- It won't do any good. - Please, take it to her.
Now!
Kids, come here.
Hi, Stefano.
- Where have you been? - For a walk.
What are you up to with her?
Meaning?
She's tired of Ischia, she wants to go to Amalfi.
I don't know anything about it.
Lenù, don't put wrong ideas into her head.
It's money out the window, we're paid up here for the month!
You think we can just go to Amalfi? Cut it out!
Where is she?
Upstairs.
Lila...
This is for you.
What does it say?
To me nothing.
It's for Nadia.
He's leaving her.
You hold onto it for tonight.
Hide it.
It's got the address.
Why did you ask Stefano this absurd thing about Amalfi?
I don't get it.
I don't either.
Besides, we're not leaving tomorrow anymore.
Bye, Lenù.
The ferry for Naples is departing.
Bear with me, I was angry.
Just as well you were there.
Take care.
I'll call you every night.
For Naples, this way.
The ferry for Naples is departing.
Let's go to the tobacconist to send the letter.
Time to go back to the city.
What are you doing? Wait for me!
Lila!
I don't know what you have in mind, but you're playing with fire.
Next time Stefano's staying for a week, what will you do?
Do you really think you can play with people's lives?
Nino's leaving his girlfriend.
He wants to quit studying and look for a job!
You should be proud of me, the cleverest guy in the world
has left the teacher's daughter for the shoemaker's daughter!
Good afternoon.
I have to send this letter to Naples, which stamp do I need?
I'll take care of it.
That's the Cygnus constellation.
Which one?
That cross over there.
- Sure? - Yes.
Whereas that's Vega, it's very bright.
It's 25 light years away,
if it exploded at this very moment, we wouldn't even notice.
We'd only see the explosion in 25 years.
Also, if the Sun exploded we'd notice after eight minutes.
Are you studying astronomy?
To me they're like random shards in blue bitumen.
It frightens me.
It's not frightening,
it's beautiful.
For me it's hypnotic, I'd never stop looking.
Sit down, Lenù.
Try this white wine, a friend of my father makes it.
Just think, he's a marquis.
Bruno, what are you doing?
Leave me alone, I don't like you like that!
You don't even like me a little bit?
No.
Lenù, what is it?
I'm crying for no reason, I'm just an idiot.
- You're so beautiful... - Bruno, please.
I like you so much.
Every time I see you my heart beats fast, I sweat...
We really have to go now.
- Stay a bit longer. - Lila, I want to go home!
Lila, let's go!
- Why are you shouting? - I want to go home!
Relax, we're going now.
What if you get pregnant?
There's no danger of that, we just kiss.
Anyway, I won't get pregnant, he knows what to do.
What?
He said he'd use a condom.
What's that?
I don't know, a thing you put over it.
You don't even know what it is and you trust him?
You have to help me.
- What help? - I want to sleep at Nino's.
Are you crazy?
And I'm crazier than you that I even listen to you.
Don't get mad, when we go back to Naples it'll be over.
Listen, Bruno has to go to Naples for three days.
You convince my mother that Nella has invited us to sleep over.
You're out of your mind.
Aren't we friends anymore?
A party for Miss Oliviero?
Yes.
Don't you remember her? Our teacher in elementary school.
She's in Barano with her cousin Nella.
- Here. - Thank you.
She's here to recover and is having a little party.
She invited us.
No, Lenù, you go, Lila can't.
If her husband finds out she slept somewhere else he'll be angry.
So we won't tell him.
He's in the neighborhood, we're here, he'll never find out.
Things always get found out. Absolutely not.
How many lies have you told Papa to get a moment to yourself?
Oh, mother of God...
Come on, Mamma.
Please.
All right, but...
promise me you'll be back before Stefano.
Or else...
Thank you, Mamma.
Indecent words flooded my brain.
I was helping her to take Nino in my place, to get laid in my place,
to fuck him for a whole night.
In that moment I wished they'd drown.
Citara Beach!
It's her.
You were right.
I told you it was her.
What a surprise!
I'm so pleased to see you.
We took the day off, Pinuccia and Alfonso are in the shop.
Actually, only Alfonso is, Pinuccia can't make the effort.
She told us you came here.
Michele, what are we doing?
Keep going, we'll see you later.
We'll wait for you at the bar.
Do you want to come up and say hello to Nunzia?
No, thanks, we've got the ferry in two hours.
Lila?
Lila's in the water, she's learned to swim really well.
She goes out where you can't touch the bottom.
- Shall we go eat something? - Yes, but let's wait for Lila.
- Then I call her. - No, don't bother her.
Marcello? How is he?
Good.
Has he got a girlfriend?
Who knows!
He's handsome, he has plenty of opportunities.
You look so good, too. You're suntanned.
Your hair's lighter.
Hi.
- Hi, I'm Nino. - Hi, I'm Gigliola.
This is Michele.
Hi.
We've known each other since elementary school.
He used to live in the neighborhood too.
Don't you know him? He's Sarratore's son.
You're the son of the guy who writes for Roma.
Stefano told me you like the new styles.
Your brother brags that he came up with them.
- It's the truth. - That's why they stink.
They'll sell better than the previous ones.
Only if you're in the shop.
Gigliola's there, she's doing great.
- I need Gigliola in the pastry shop. - They need me in the grocery store.
You'll move to Piazza dei Martiri, signora.
And you'll have carte blanche.
And tell your father
he shouldn't have written that he didn't like the decor.
When you take money, you have to write that everything's good,
or else you won't see any more money.
Have a good day.
- He saw you. - Who is he?
A shitty mobster who thinks he's a bigshot.
Keep it down.
He's your husband's partner, he'll tell him everything.
Everything what? There's nothing to tell.
- They'll tell. - Who gives a damn!
You sure you won't get into trouble because of me?
We've decided, haven't we?
Tonight, I'm sleeping over at your place.
Do you mind if I go home?
I promised Bruno I'd do summaries for the exams.
He'll be disappointed if I haven't done them.
Come whenever you like.
I'll be waiting for you.
Are you sure?
Very sure.
Lenù, I'm fond of you.
And I always will be.
I hope at least once in your life you feel
what I'm feeling now.
Here we are!
Lenù, this is the one you like.
Thank you, it's my favorite.
- Children, the cake! - I'll go get the coffee.
Thank you, Nella.
The first slice...
is for Lenù.
Thanks.
- Pinuccio, want some cake? - No.
Thank you.
Shall we go for a walk?
Yes, Donato, let's go for a stroll.
Lenù, come with us.
No, thank you, I prefer to help Nella.
Don't worry, I'll take care of it.
No, I'm happy to.
Besides, I feel very tired.
Exhausted.
I'm ready, I'll get my purse.
Pino, change your shoes.
Exhausted...
What a lovely evening.
Lenù...
This is yours.
Donato, shall we go?
See you later.
All at once I realized why I'd never had Nino,
I didn't know how to let myself go beyond,
I didn't possess that emotional power, I lagged behind, waiting.
She took the things she really wanted.
I wished that right there on the sea shore
murderers would come out of the night and torture my body,
that the worst would happen to me, something so devastating
it would stop me from facing that night,
the hours and the days to come,
reminding me with increasingly crushing proof
of my unsuited condition.
Lenù!
It's me.
I knew I'd find you here.
Nella was worried and Lidia asked me to look for you.
I told them to go to bed, that I knew where to find you.
And sure enough, here you are,
listening to the breath of the sea
and contemplating the divine beauty of the sky.
You'll have to forgive me, Lenù.
The heart wants what it wants.
And you're too beautiful.
What an exaggeration!
The problem with youth is one doesn't have the eyes to see oneself
and the emotions to feel oneself with objectivity.
The mirror exists and it's objective.
The mirror...
The mirror is the last thing you can trust.
I bet you don't feel as pretty as your friends.
Yes.
Whereas you're much more beautiful than them.
I know you as well as I know myself.
You and I have the same sensibility.
Two souls
can meet and recognize one another even in the dark.
Perhaps we really are made of the same stuff,
perhaps we really are condemned without blame
to the same, identical mediocrity.
I'm a bit cold.
Come here.
How sweet this night is.
And how sweet you are.
This is a secret between me and you,
you must lock it away in your heart.
Lenù, where can we meet tomorrow?
You're mistaken.
We won't see each other tomorrow or the day after.
We'll never see each other again!
What?
Let me make myself clear.
What Antonio, Melina's son, wants to do to you
is nothing compared with what Michele Solara will do to you,
if I say the word to him.
Did you know, he can't wait to smash your face in
after the shitty article you wrote?
I didn't once regret accepting what had happened,
I had no second thoughts and I felt proud of it.
That's how I wanted it to be and I imposed it on myself,
but that man, I never wanted to see him again.
Sound the horn again.
Let's go, Lila!
Hurry up!
I want to study what he studies.
But I don't want to learn for the university,
I want to learn for him.
I want to read the same books as him.
- I want to understand what he thinks. - Don't talk crazy.
You said you'd see him this time and that was it.
Do you think, if I work hard,
I can understand the things he does?
No, you're too behind in everything.
It's hard stuff, you don't read the papers, you don't know anything.
I told you he thinks highly of you.
Can you help me study?
No, it's not something you should do.
He wants to quit university because of you.
He'll study, that's what he was born for.
And I'll help him.
You're married, get it out of your head.
You're not suited to his needs.
And who is suited?
Nadia?
But he dumped her for me.
I don't want to hear any more of this.
Do what you like.
Hi, Stefano.
I'll make coffee.
Did you two have fun?
A lot.
Tell me about it, how was the party?
No, Lenù!
Sit with us, so you can tell me.
Well?
There's not much to tell,
there was a dinner for Miss Oliviero and we stayed the night there.
That's nice.
So, if there's nothing to tell about the dinner...
Tell me if it's true you go swimming with Sarratore's son.
Sometimes. Why?
How many times? Once, twice, three times, how many?
Lenù, do you know?
Once.
He came by to see us and we all went for a swim together.
And you and Sarratore's son are so close you hold hands?
- Who told you that? - Ada.
- And who told Ada? - Gigliola.
- And who told Gigliola? - She saw you, bitch!
She came here with Michele and saw you.
And you weren't with Elena, you were by yourselves, holding hands!
I was such a fool to marry you.
You're worthless.
You know that Michele Solara wants me in the shop,
you know that's why Gigliola would kill me if she could.
And what do you do?
You believe her.
She manipulates you like a puppet.
I'm going for a walk. Lenù, come with me.
The fuck you going? Is it true you swim with Sarratore or not?
- You hear me? - Stop it!
Come here!
Stop it, Stefano!
It's not true! Gigliola's just jealous!
- I'll kill you! - Yes, it's true!
It's true!
Sarratore's son and I swim together!
We hold hands, we kiss, we touch each other!
He's fucked me a hundred times!
That's how I realized what shit you are, and how worthless!
Is that enough?
It's not true.
It's not true, Stefano. It's not true.
It's not true, Lila.
It's not true at all.
Pack your bags, we're leaving tomorrow.
I decided that from that moment I would live only for myself.
And when I was back in Naples, I wouldn't seek out Lila anymore.
I wouldn't seek out Nino anymore.
Good morning, miss.
Miss, something for the music?
Some change?
Do I have to speak Neapolitan for you to understand?
Hello, miss. Do you understand Neapolitan?