The New Monsters (I nuovi mostri)

VIVA ITALIA!

Even though it's contaminated by the effluvium of the neighboring city...

the air here is still pure.

It's still rosy, your Emminence.

Oh, lavender!

A sprig among the white clothes.

I still see my mother, preparing the armoires...

while my brothers and I were under the giant fig tree...

eating the last of its fruit.

This fig tree seems to be cursed by our lord.

Maybe the pollution from the city is too nearby.

Very much so. Gaetano? Are things that grave?

I fear so. It's Sunday too, everything is closed.

I could call an ambulance.

Arriving at the inaugartion in an ambulance doesn't strike me as dignified.

So what can we do?

- Clean it again. - Yes, go.

With any luck it'll be a disgrace. The parish is nearby.

Let's go.

They'll be happy to recieve it.

It's closed, let's try over there.

THE MONKS

MORE HOMES LESS CHURCHES

- We've been waiting for months! - And the light?

- I have no water in my home! - I have no gas in mine!

Enough! Will you let me speak?

Perhaps it would be better, your Emminence...

I've complained a thousand times, I want a solution!

Order, order!

Order.

One at a time, democratically.

Who has asked to speak?

Let's all go to city hall and speak to Marcus Aurelius!

The municipality isn't responsible.

Then who is?

- They've deliberated. - Who?

- To be more precise, I propose to name... - Go on!

Shut up for a bit, let me finish!

I propose to name a commission that will recieve...

- Where, in the city? - Where else?

- It's always the same thing! - I want to speak!

- I want to speak! - Mother, there's one on a red dress.

Who is it?

Hello Father. Forgive me sir.

I don't know what to call you. Excellence? Emminence?

I don't know.

This is the community of the parish of St. Mathew.

To what do we owe the honor of this visit?

What is your name, my son?

I am Don Paolo Arnoldi.

Oh, of course.

I've heard of you, friend Paolo.

May I sit among you?

Franco! Take a seat.

Make yourself comfortable, please.

Please.

Who has asked to speak?

We hear you. Who wants to speak?

You won't speak? Did he scare you?

Me, scared? No one does anything because everything is in ruins.

What do you mean, ruins? It's all cement.

- We want a solution! - Very well.

- We'll took it by force! - Yes, and the police will throw you out.

- We could lose everything. - We'll lose more if we don't try.

- You never do anything! - Shut up fascist!

It's been a year!

A year I've been trying to get you to understand, to reason!

Seeing as how you can't agree on anything, we'll vote.

- The priest has gotten angry. - What are we voting on?

You won't vote, your Emminence?

No, I don't think it's appropriate.

What does his Emminence care? He washes his hands of it.

Did you see, your Emminence? These unfortunates have been abandoned by all.

This is no man's land, and that's not the only problem.

You don't want to give your opinion?

Of course. With true shame and profound agony...

I take the stand to speak to you all.

Shame, because I came to your community...

due to a coincidental and everyday mechanical accident and not forced...

as I should have been, by any religious feeling.

And the pain is real at seeing the total lack of well-being...

in which you live out your everyday lives.

A lack in well-being that can turn in to violence.

The dumb, the useless, the stupid violence.

I've heard some of you, you in particular, I believe, say:

"Let's go..."

"Let's take over..."

"Let's attack..."

Look who's talking about violence!

Yes, yes. I... No, no.

I exercised violence.

Did I changed your mind?

Did I convince you? No!

I only increased your anger. Isn't that so friend?

So now? Go on. Go on children.

Let's return you to your community...

which at the moment stands accused... - Son of a bitch.

...of neglecting spiritual virtue in favor of...

perhaps in an execissve manner, social matters...

the betterment of your material conditions.

I don't accuse you, no. I don't accuse you. Although it's true...

that the saints could elevate themselves even among misery.

I recall St. Francis, the beggar of Assisi...

St. Benito and in thousands of heroes of the faith...

who managed to get rid of everything, to be happy in poverty.

But they were saints.

We aren't.

We're imperfect.

But how could you not be imperfect?

You who follow a different sort of happiness...

worldly happiness.

For us happiness is justice!

Yes, justice.

What are you doing? Get out!

- Get out of here. - Begone.

Justice, yes brothers, but, what justice?

What sort of justice?

The justice of a priest who doesn't feel the responsiblity...

of wearing with dignity the holy vestements?

No, the justice of god.

- It isn't the vestements, your Emminence! - Shut up, let him speak.

Very well, Jesus said:

"Blessed are those who hunger for justice...

for they shall be satisfied." But he also said:

"Blessed are the meek, because meekness...

shall be turned into riches".

- When did he say that? - He said it.

- Didn't you see Zefirelli's Jesus? - Yes, yes.

Let us read the Gospel, beloved children...

and remeber Christ's words...

"Do not forge a treasure on earth...

where thieves loot and pillage.

Instead forge a treasure in heaven".

What a tongue he has!

- They should make him pope. - They should.

Today is a day of celebration. Perhaps not for you...

but surely for me, because I am among you...

my beloved congregation.

And I want that this house of the Lord...

which isn't a house of intrigues, or of frolic...

be illuminated with light, like is done...

in palaces on holidays.

Light, then, all your lights!

Illuminate your souls!

- Let the light penetrate... - How beautiful!

- It looks like Christmas. - Yes, Christmas.

And all together, children, let us listen to the old and much loved...

ringing of the bells for the glory of the Lord.

Yes, very good, go on little one.

And let us express through the sound of this old organ...

our feelings of faith, of charity, of hope...

of meekness. Yes, and of obedience.

And let us sing together, my flock, to the glory of the Lord.

He will be proud!

Your Emminece, Gaetano is there, we can leave.

Raise up your voices!

Let them reach the heavens!

AUTO STOP

Yes, your grandmother. Yeah, go to hell.

Yes, of course.

Wait a moment.

Hello, very kind of you.

- Where are you going? - To Bondano.

What a pity, I'm taking a detour to Ponzelle first.

It's quite a ways away.

- You couldn't? - To Bondano? No, they're waiting for me.

Get on anyway. You'll gain some ground and then...

we'll see. Go on, get in.

Very well, get comfortable.

I like this, you know? Picking people up on the road.

Women, of course.

Because the presence of a woman in the car...

always gives things a touch of joy. That's how it is.

It makes travelling easier too.

Oh, these boys...

How can they get in with the first one that comes by?

They should have some caution. Don't they read the newspaper?

I mean, sexual violence, rapes.

I could see you are a good person.

Thank you very much.

But I'm still a man.

I could even be your father, for example.

I hope this question isn't rude.

I have a daughter about your age.

What did you say your name was?

I didn't say.

- Piera. - Piera?

That's good, like my car.

Look here Piera. Piera! Look.

That's the cars name?

- You named your car? - No, let me explain.

I had a secretary for 12 years.

Truthfully, she was a bit more than a secretary.

How great for you! Was it romantic?

Romantic, what do you think? I'm a sentimentalist above all things!

This necklace is lovely!

This is lovely too. What is it?

What is this? Something typical?

Look here young lady!

Look, 99,979 kilometeters.