Translation and subtitles by PEPPER & LALASPAIN *** SONG LIVES FOR EVER ***
THIS IS BASED ON A TRUE STORY
POLICE HEADQUARTERS ROME, 1984
To strangle a man is serious business.
The first thing you need is three, four men. Strong men.
And it's not like you see in the movies.
It takes more than a few seconds.
Maybe five, six...
...maybe 10 minutes.
Why have you chosen to talk?
I will talk, but understand this.
I am not betraying the Mafia.
It is the Mafia which has betrayed me.
They killed two of my sons,
my brother, my nephew, my son-in-law.
What I miss of Sicily is the smell.
The orange groves, the lemons, and olives, the sea air.
But sooner or later, the perfume starts to smell of corpses.
When the Mafia kills police chiefs,
judges, servants of state,
the President of the region of Sicily,
newspapermen, senators, policemen.
How many excellent cadavers have there been?
I will tell you everything, Judge Falcone,
but you must understand that you are opening an account with the Mafia.
With Toto' Riina that will besettled only when you die.
-Do you still wish to proceed? -I do.
-Then tell me what brought you here. -Why?
Cosa Nostra kills those in the state whom the state will not protect.
I have to know you have the support of those around you.
Otherwise, how can you protect me?
FAVIGNANA, SICILY SIX YEARS EARLIER
Giovanni! Do you know how long I've been looking for you?
What's the matter, you thought maybe I killed myself?
With all those cigarettes you're smoking it's just a matter of time.
But don't smoke in front of Chinnici, he just quit.
You got the job! You're coming to Palermo.
Hey, control yourself. Come on, Giovanni, this is fantastic!
You can start all over.
She left me for my boss, Paolo. My boss.
Being screwed by your boss is one thing,
but when he starts screwing your wife...
Why don't we get something to eat?
She says he has something I don't have. A heart. Am I cold, Paolo?
We can get some spareribs, huh? Just like when we were kids.
-Am I cold, Paolo? -Cold? You?
Yes, usually. But not with your friends.
-No more women, never again. -Come on, you can't mean that.
I don't want to talk about it anymore.
Okay.
Listen, I have to go back to Palermo, eh? I'll call you later.
Paolo! Thanks.
If you need something,
you have to make a request triplicate on the correct forms.
-Where are the correct forms? -They've been requested.
Giovanni Falcone, Bankruptcy.
Quinzi, Prosecutor.
Do you suppose you could lend me a chair until I get a new one?
No, I'm sorry, we are using it. Bye.
-Pecorelli, shall we go? -Thank you.
Giovanni. This is Rocco Chinnici, the head of our office.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity.
No, thanks to your resume.
And Paolo, of course. He always talks about you.
-Now if there's anything you need... -Actually, I...
Hold on. You'll have to bring it from home.
After I get a home.
I think Agnese has found one for you.
They've adopted me.
-May I? -Oh, it's my last one.
-So it's good to have you here. -Well, good.
I, this is Francesco Messina. He'll be working on the same floor.
-Nice to meet you. -My pleasure.
I've heard a lot about you.
Giovanni, can I have a cigarette, please? I finished mine.
-What's that? -A wheel for my chair.
This is the bedroom, I think.
-Well, you like it? -I like it, Agnese.
-It's just sort of big for one person. -Oh, well, that can always change.
-Agnese... -I don't care.
It's not natural for a man to be alone.
It's just not going to bring back good memories.
-Giovanni, where do you want this? -I don't want that here.
-But we're in it, too. -Then you keep it.
Okay.
I told you, I told you not to, why do you insist?
Okay, okay, I was wrong.
Chief Cassara, how many Mafioso have been arrested?
Fifty-five, which makes this one of the biggest anti-Mafia operations
in more than a decade.
Do you think you have sufficient proof to convict them?
-No comment. -Please, just another question.
You have to let them go! The law is the law!
We demand that you release them immediately!
-This is insane! -Judge Costa!
Judge Costa, none of the 55 arrest warrants has been signed.
-You have to. -I know it's the law! It's illegal!
-...immediately! -Calm down!
Did you ever notice? You can't tell the Mafioso from their lawyers.
Just like dogs they look like their owners.
If you don't stop, I will arrest you. What's going on?
Dr. Quinzi? We double-checked the evidence, but it seems insufficient.
You are insufficient.
-Give me a pen. -I'm sorry, I don't have one.
You can't accept this. He won't accept this.
He signed them, not us.
Excuse me, Judge Costa...
I wanted to say, this morning in the hallway,
that never should have happened.
It happens everyday. Do you have a solution?
A solution for indifference, for betrayal? I've only just arrived.
But I've always heard that you were a brave man, and you deserve support.
I'd like to offer you mine.
-What is your name? -Giovanni Falcone.
Come to my office tomorrow.
I was born in La Kalsa. I grew up with the Mafia.
I played with their children.
We breathed the same air. I know what they're made of.
-By the way, this is yours. -I've got another one.
They told me you are a careful man.
Would you be interested in a Mafia case?
Sure.
-You understand the danger? -Of course.
Be careful who you trust.
Be careful of who you speak to and who you choose to make your friend.
Make sure that those around you are on your side,
because the battle is lost when you are isolated.
Then they can kill you.
I have six months to retirement.
Half the time I sleep here.
My wife, she never sees me.
-You are not married. -No.
Good. Good. Thank you.
UCCIARDONE PRISON PALERMO
We're so happy you're handling this case.
We've heard you have a great reputation for fairness.
Sir, if your clients are innocent,
then they are lucky to have me on the case.
But if they're guilty...
You have never heard the word Mafia?
Can you tell me how a man with a second grade education
-ends up owning 50 hotels? -I go to church every day.
I don't believe in miracles.
I said I don't know anything about a plane flight.
This says you bought a ticket on March 2nd.
Pure coincidence that your plane was carrying 10 kilos of heroin?
Do you know how many planes carry heroin?
-No. How many? -I don't know.
Pure coincidence then that you were wired 200 million lire that day?
The exact cost of the heroin.
-It's a mistake. -That's mine.
Was it a mistake that you wired him 52 million in July,
51 million in October and another 49,000,000 in November?
Most men in Sicily are content to do as little as possible.
Why do you want to make all this trouble?
How would you like to come to work for me?
I have a job. That's why you're here.
So next time you go to the bathroom
you better bring a bodyguard.
-Good morning. When did you get in? -I never got out.
Are you trying to make the rest of us look bad?
It doesn't take much effort.
Nice, huh?
Making friends and influencing people I see, eh?
I should work half as hard just to make him happy?
-You should keep your door closed. -It was.
Giovanni, making friends is the name of the game around here.
One of the Mafiosi from the case I'm working on escaped.
You know Agnese's father's a judge.
So, he went to Costa and said that his daughter will not be a widow
and, of course, his grandchildren cannot be orphans.
-He took you off? -Yeah, he tried to.
It's amazing the power of the Mafia, eh?
It can get you not only through your enemies, but through your friends.
Ninni.
-Hi, Paolo. Giovanni. -Ninni.
-It's good to see you again. -I wish it wasn't like this.
Some guy with a 9-millimetre.
Of course, nobody on the street saw anything.
He was going to retire in two months. They couldn't wait.
For a moment I thought it was you.
You sound disappointed.
Judge Falcone?
-Good morning. -This way.
I'm Mario Fabbri. Your new bodyguard.
I said I didn't want a bodyguard.
Well, you better speak to the security committee.
I'd rather drive myself.
You better speak to the security committee.
You don't like this assignment, do you?
Well, not really.
You have to be committed to it.
If you don't like it, I can get you a transfer.
Think about it. I'll give you a week.
Any longer and we could both be dead.
Where are you going?
I thought we were going to police headquarters.
This way takes longer. Why don't you take the beltway?
-Because it's one way. -There's less traffic!
We always need to have room for a U-turn.
Judge Costa slept here often.
-Where do you want it? -My office.
-Judge Falcone. -Later.
-Giovanni. -Paolo, please come back later.
Falcone. My God.
-Come in, please. -What is all this?
Bank receipts.
How many do you have?
I impounded every currency exchange record from every bank since 1975.
If you can't follow the drugs, you follow the money.
It starts with Giuseppe Di Cristina
who was killed in the Salvatore Inzerillo family territory.
In his pocket was a check for 10,000,000 lire
signed by Inzerillo himself.
Along with transfers for 20 million more made by the Neapolitan Camorra
which deposited hundreds of millions into other Mafia family accounts.
In one year they transferred 3 billion lire between Palermo and Naples.
From there the network grows.
All these families are working together.
I'm learning who talks to who, who shakes who's hand,
who murders, who steals even the name on their underwear.
It's all quite exact.
-Do you think I can get a computer? -You are a computer.
-Give me a cigarette. -I thought you quit.
Come on, give me a cigarette.
I want to question some of them. You never know, maybe one will talk.
Even if one of them would talk, you have to know you can kill a shark
-before you bring it on board. -If Rome ever gives us a boat.
By the way, here's your fan mail.
Anonymous threats.
-Costa said they'd try to divide us. -What does it say?
"A friendly warning: Rocco Chinnici cannot be trusted."
I got one too. Only mine said you can't be trusted.
Check the watermark.
Ministry paper. They're coming from inside this office.
"Enemies from without enemies from within." Costa was a wise man.
The wonderful Corleonesi.
Where all roads lead. Toto' Riina, he's at the centre.
My investigation comes to the same conclusion.
The question is how to get him.
I thought about your offer.
You know, I see how hard you work and I don't want to let you down.
So consider me committed.
Thank you.
So what about General Dalla Chiesa coming here
to start a new anti-mafia campaign?
-Big news, huh? -Sure is.
But he brought the Red Brigade to their knees.
Let's hope the Mafia has knees.
Okay, why are we taking this road? You're going the opposite way.
Surprise!
-You're supposed to protect me. -He is. From yourself. Come on.
Giovanni! So glad you could join us.
-How are you, Agnese? -I'm fine.
Look at you, you're so pale. You should come to the beach with us.
Yes, you lie in the sand and do absolutely nothing.
Let me get a lobotomy first.
Too much work can kill you, you know.
Especially in my job. There's an extra place setting.
Why do we love this grouch so much? Does anyone know?
Francesca.
-You're going to thank me for this. -I doubt we'll be speaking.
Hello, Agnese.
Paolo, how are you?
Thrilled to be having dinner with two such beautiful ladies.
Eh Francesca, this is Giovanni Falcone.
Giovanni, Francesca Morvillo.
-Nice to meet you. -Hello.
I should say it's a pleasure to meet you again.
We were once almost engaged.
Francesca, Francesca Morvillo, huh? Think.
Unless she was in handcuffs he's not going to remember.
Giovanni, I didn't know you were into that.
Francesca Morvillo. Morvillo.
-Francesca. I remember. -Seventh grade.
You asked me to marry you during recess.
And I don't think there's a statute of limitations on that.
Francesca is a Magistrate in the Court of Appeals.
Imagine that! You realise your office is right next door.
I heard about the great success
you are having in the Inzerillo, Spatola case.
-12 more were arrested today. -Yes.
-And to General Dalla Chiesa. -Yes. Hear-hear.
-A new day for Sicily. -Yes.
My God. I have to call Dick Martin and Louie Freeh.
I have a thousand things to do before I get those warrants out.
-Now? It's dinnertime! -Not in New York.
Francesca, it was wonderful meeting you again.
I hope you all understand.
Excuse me.
-What did I do? -I don't know.
Giovanni. Giovanni, that was the rudest display I have ever seen.
You hijack me and I'm rude?
You wouldn't be so upset if you didn't need a woman so much.
Fine. I'll get a woman when you get some manners.
Your wife was right, you don't have a heart.
Paolo. What's going on? Please.
-We're leaving. -But, Francesca. Come on.
Now.
-We can't leave her here alone. -That's his problem.
-He can take care of it. -I don't understand.
You have your bag?
-Don't go. -But what about Paolo and Agnese?
They left. Please, Francesca, let me explain. Sit. Please.
You see, my wife left me.
Look, I know it may have appeared that way,
but I didn't come here in a wedding dress.
I was going to have dinner with friends.
I just had some fond memories
-and I thought it would be nice. -I'm sorry.
I'm a fool, that's all I can say.
Well, at least you remembered me.
Let's drink our wine.
What happened when I asked you to marry me?
The bell rang.
Liar! I never kissed her! She had braces like barbed wire.
How would you know?
Giovanni, she told me that you asked her to marry you.
I did. But I asked you first.
How things change. I remember you loved opera.
-I still love opera. -I never understood its appeal.
That's because you don't know it. I'll teach you.
...instantly killing member of Parliament, Pio La Torre,
and his bodyguard, Rosario Di Salvo.
La Torre, head of the Communist Party in Sicily,
was the architect of legislation
which would have in effect made Mafia membership itself a crime.
And this just prior to the arrival in Palermo
of General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa seen here with his wife at the airport.
General Dalla Chiesa has recently been appointed
the Prefect of Palermo.
And finally, in memory of this murdered man,
I pledge to focus our battle against those special groups,
which the Mafia controls.
The people supposedly above suspicion,
the ones at the centre of political power.
But, but now let us have a moment of silence
in memory of Pio La Torre and his bodyguard Rosario Di Salvo.
It's a sad day for Sicily.
We must go.
-They killed all three of them. -Francesca, wait here.
Come.
The Mafia was taking no chances with Dalla Chiesa.
They had to get rid of him.
What do you know about the other victim?
He was Dalla Chiesa's driver.
It's murder! It's murder! Stop them!
Stop them, please! Please!
Francesca, we must go.
Francesca.
Goodbye.
Francesca.
Please, don't go. Stay with me.
I admire you, Giovanni. But this is Sicily.
The Mafia always wins and nothing ever changes.
I just don't know if I'm strong enough to be your friend, Giovanni.
I'm sorry.
I understand.
Senator Lima. The Mafia candidate himself.
They say if you want to know who ordered the killing
look to see who sent the first flowers.
Are you all right?
At the end of the Roman Empire,
as the barbarians approached the city of Segunto,
the Roman army withdrew,
abandoning the local citizens.
The people of the city were slaughtered
and shortly after the Empire fell.
Palermo today is like Segunto!
Because Rome has abandoned us! Deserted us!
And we are left here in the hands of killers!
Murderers! Murderers!
Here's your killers! Kill them!
We are here at Palermo Cathedral. There's practically a riot going on.
Murderer!
We've never seen a protest against the Mafia in Sicily like this before.
People are screaming at the politicians coming out.
But here I see Senator Lima coming out of the church now.
Senator Lima. Senator Lima.
Have you ever seen a crowd speak out like this? Isn't this unprecedented?
The Mafia is a terrible cancer.
And only by working together can we find a cure.
If the Mafia is a cancer, then he's a tobacco farmer.
-Lima! Lima! -Never again, you murderer!
Murderer!
Lima! Get out, Lima!
Nothing changes?
I never would have believed it.
I'm going to be late.
So I'll be late.
Not that late.
Opera.
FALCONE
-Bad news? -I've made some new friends.
What's all that smoke, Rocco? That better be the house that's burning.
-Hello. -This is your doctor.
Too much work is bad for your health.
Hello. Good morning.
-Who was it? -Wrong number. Oh, I have to go.
No, wait for me, you can give me a ride.
-No, darling. -Oh, come on.
-I have to go. -Bye.
Judge Chinnici. Your mail.
Judge Falcone.
I came to offer my condolences.
What are you doing in Chinnici's office? What's going on?
They've increased your security.
You're getting to be very expensive for the state.
At least they save money on you. What is this?
I thought you'd have heard by now.
The cases in this office are being investigated by another division.
What? That's impossible!
Nothing is to be touched until a new chief is named!
These files cannot leave this office!
They've been requested by the division
assigned to investigate Chinnici's murder.
And I've been put in charge of their safekeeping.
Put that down right now! Get out of here!
You have no authority here!
When and if a replacement can be found for Judge Chinnici,
you can take it up with him.
Giovanni, it's not over.
AMAZON FOREST BRAZIL
It's so nice to have you back home.
-Go inside. -What's wrong, Daddy?
Go inside now.
Excuse me, sir.
-Do you know Tommaso Buscetta? -Yes.
He is my brother, but I haven't seen him in years.
-Please raise your hands. -But why?
-I said, raise your hands. -I don't know what...
-Hands up! -Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!
-Go inside! Go inside! -Don't move!
-Daddy! Daddy!
Don't move! Get down! What's the matter with you!
Down! Down on the floor!
I am Tommaso Buscetta.
A spokesman for the Italian Embassy
says that Buscetta is the biggest crime boss ever arrested.
And will likely be extradited.
Buscetta, known as the Godfather of two worlds,
broke his parole and fled Italy to Brazil
where he continued to control the principle cocaine markets
between South America, Europe and the United States.
Stewardess!
Open the door!
Find a doctor! Quick!
POLICE HEADQUARTERS ROME, 1984
How many people have you killed?
What is the Mafia?
Three men
are in line for a job as a magistrate.
One smart and hard working,
one has friends in high places,
one is a fool.
The fool gets the job.
That is the Mafia.
I will only speak with a judge from Palermo.
Why did you ask to speak to me?
The Mafia respects you more than your own colleagues.
You're serious, intelligent, you work like a mule.
You're loyal, like a dog and cunning, like a cat.
So much for evolution.
I want to trust you, Judge Falcone.
To do what?
To fight the Mafia.
Listen to me very carefully.
As of now my wife and children
are your wife and children.
Will you protect their lives for me?
I give you my word as a Sicilian.
I want to make very clear.
The Italian State is not serious about fighting the Mafia.
You'll be on your own. Do you understand?
Yes.
-Do you wish to go on? -Yes.
I have many secrets to tell.
After I do, you will be a celebrity.
And they will try to destroy you professionally and physically.
Do you still want to go on?
Yes.
Good.
This is important. I am not a stool pigeon.
I don't want a plea bargain or special treatment.
I am not betraying the Mafia.
It is Toto' Riina who has betrayed the Mafia.
I was raised by the Mafia.
They taught me to live by bloodshed.
Because it is with blood that you enter the Mafia.
And it is only with blood that you can leave the Mafia.
-May my flesh. -May my flesh.
-Burn like this saint. -Burn like this saint.
If I fail to keep my loyalty to Cosa Nostra.
I say Mafia to you, but we don't use that word.
We say Cosa Nostra, Our Fame.
We are men of honour.
And men of honour must live by a code of honour.
We must speak the truth to one another and only the truth.
And we must only speak of those things which directly concern us.
The rest we speak through silence.
You know the expression "The best word is the one that isn't spoken",
that's Cosa Nostra.
Understand, we are men like you.
You remember when I was out of cigarettes?
You offered me a pack that was already open.
Why didn't you give me a new pack?
Because you might have found it humiliating.
We are not so different.
In Cosa Nostra everything is a message
and nothing is left half-done.
You know, Judge Falcone, why we are so successful?
Because you're serious. Just like you.
Every man of honour belongs to a family,
which corresponds to a neighbourhood or town.
At the head of each family is a leader who is elected.
Like Michele Greco, boss of Ciaculli.
Or Pippo Calo' of Porta Nuova.
The soldiers of each family are organized in groups of 10
overseen by a Captain, like Pino Greco.
Each group of three families chooses a district leader
who represents them in the governing body called the Commission.
The current one was formed in 1978.
It was led by three men:
Stefano Bontade, Salvatore Inzerillo and Toto' Riina.
How the Palermo bosses made a mistake underestimating Toto' Riina.
This peasant from Corleone who kills men of honour for nothing,
who eliminates entire families, so that no one can take revenge.
Stefano! Happy birthday!
Riina didn't come to celebrate Bontade's birthday, but his funeral.
Riina had 21 Inzerillo's killed.
He would say, ''Not even their seed will remain."
He killed women whose only sin
was to be the wife or daughter of a man of honour.
-Never before! -No! No!
Riina took Inzerillo's only son
and Pino Greco cut off his hands so he couldn't avenge his father.
And then he gave it to the pigs to eat.
The Mafia has never killed a boy.
But Riina is an animal!
My two sons...
By infiltrating the political world,
the Commission controls almost every public contract in Sicily.
Which is why we have highways that go nowhere,
dams without water, seaports without ships.
Towns destroyed.
Every Mafia killing must be authorized
by the boss in whose territory it takes place.
The Commission determines the most important.
Your excellent cadavers the judges, police, servants of the state.
Costa, Chinnici, all of them.
Are you telling me the members of the Commission
are responsible for all the killings?
Yes.
You can put them all on trial as if they pulled the trigger themselves.
You can stop Toto' Riina!
And above Riina the politicians in league with the Mafia.
No, no. We have to be smart. The time hasn't come.
It is too soon.
You go after them now, they stop you before you can begin.
Buscetta. Buscetta.
If we can't stop them, we won't stop Cosa Nostra.
The important thing is to get to the truth. The truth.
Mario. Paolo.
You can't believe this. He's filling in all the blanks.
Sooner or later he's going to tell us everything that he knows.
All our work, Paolo, he's confirmed it! And he'll testify!
We can go after every boss in Sicily!
-My God! Are you sure he'll testify? -I have his word.
Paolo, you're the only one I trust. Are you willing to help me?
As always.
-By the way, I have a surprise. -Has Caponnetto arrived?
Would you expect the new chief prosecutor
to pick you up at the airport? Surprise!
-I missed you. -Where are we going?
-The office. The Office. -Home.
-Office. -Let's go.
I don't suppose I could get one of those computers.
I guess not, huh.
The alarm triggers go here and here.
-Locking you up like prisoners, huh? -No. Like valuables.
See if the lock works.
Rather than retire, I took this job
because of the immense importance of the work you're doing.
Thank you, Judge Caponnetto.
Too much work and too large a risk
to remain in the hands of a single judge.
Which is why you will work as a team.
Sharing all information. Choose the men you trust.
In that way they cannot divide us and they will never stop us.
Anybody seen the Greco files?
Wait a second, what is this?
-I don't know, it must be yours. -Get back here.
-I'm so confused, can you find it? -You find it.
-This goes with Calderone, G. -Who took my Lucchese?
-Who is he? -Who is he?
-Will somebody please help me here? -Everyone stop right now!
Carlo, stop asking everyone else for something
and put on your glasses and find it yourself.
Sophia, I want everything re-labelled.
I just labelled it.
Then you would know that there is a Greco M and a Greco P.
Also there is a Greco L and two Greco S's!
Now do your job or don't! And treat every piece of information
as if it were a matter of life or death!
I won't accept anything less!
If we're going to fight the Mafia, we have to be as good as the Mafia.
There he is! Here! Here!
This is by far the largest anti-Mafia operation of this decade
with the arrest of 366 people today and supposedly many more to come.
The entire Italian police force has been placed on alert
and the hunt goes on for the accused who are still at large.
Judge Giovanni Falcone has stated that among these men
are the alleged bosses of the Mafia.
-Come on, it's bedtime. -Mama, Francesca's coming.
-Come on! -Are you ready?
Oh, Maria, it's so good to see you.
Maria, this is Giovanni, finally. Giovanni, my dear friend Maria.
I've heard so much about you.
I'm sorry. I tried to call but I couldn't reach you.
Both the kids have the flu and it's really bad.
-Hi, Aunt Francesca! -Sarah!
We just saw Judge Falcone on TV.
-I didn't know it was so serious. -You want us to leave?
I have children. I'm sorry.
I don't believe you dragged me from work
to visit some hysterical woman!
How dare you! She's afraid. You don't understand anything.
And she's not "some hysterical woman," she's my friend.
-What's wrong with you? -Do you know what my work is?
Do you know what this business with Buscetta means?
So if you and your hysterical friends can't handle that
then there's no point of us going on!
Fine! Do what you want. You will anyway.
But don't treat me like an idiot.
-Maybe it's all for the best. -For whom?
Are you doing this for me? Are you trying to protect me?
Giovanni, pull over. Pull over.
What's going on? Be honest with me, I deserve that.
I'm not sure. I think I'm scared.
-But any sane person would be. -Francesca, it's not that. It's you.
When I was alone it was different.
With you, you make me think of a life together that cannot be.
Giovanni, do you love me?
I don't want to see you get hurt, Francesca.
But I love you too much to leave you.
Giovanni, you'll hurt me if you leave me.
You know...
...my grandfather, he was the world's worst driver.
And my poor grandmother, she worried that every day would be his last.
She was sure he would have a horrible accident and die.
Today he's 86 and still driving.
What happened to your grandmother?
She died years ago from too much worrying.
Giovanni, I love you too. I love you so much.
What do we do now?
-Couldn't you find something nicer? -What's wrong with this?
Take mine.
Yeah, okay. That's better.
Do you, Giovanni Falcone, take Francesca Morvillo
-to be your lawful wedded wife? -I do.
Do you, Francesca Morvillo take Giovanni Falcone
-to be your lawful wedded husband? -I do.
I hereby declare you husband and wife.
I wanted to be the first to kiss the bride.
Congratulations, Judge.
-Thank you, Laura. -Congratulations, Francesca.
-Thank you. -Congratulations.
Evidence. Biography. Bank records.
-So what are these? -Death threats.
Which reminds me, Paolo, I need the combination to your safe.
Why?
When they kill you, how are we going to open it?
I'll show you mine if you show me yours.
Okay. I'll see you guys.
-Falcone. -Yes. This is Falcone, too.
-How's the honeymoon? -Great.
Paolo and I are the perfect lovebirds.
-I love you. -I love you, too.
Giovanni Falcone "No more women."
Giovanni.
Hi, Laura! I got Cannoli's.
Ninni! Ninni! Oh, God!
Open the door, please!
Open the door please. Please! Open...
"They didn't have a chance," "She was there, she saw the whole thing."
Hello. Yeah, okay.
He's at Headquarters. We gotta go now.
What happened?
Francesca. They killed Ninni and his bodyguard.
Oh, my God, oh my God, oh my God.
Don't cry, Francesca.
How, how's Laura? We'll have to go. We have to go see Laura and the boy.
Giovanni. Giovanni.
They killed Ninni because they couldn't get to us.
-If we stay, they'll find a way. -You're right.
-Hey. -I'm scared.
Everything's going to be all right, eh. We're, we're almost there.
-It's, it's a beautiful day, there's no turbulence so,
-so you have nothing to worry about. -She's not talking about the flight.
Fredo, look. It's the island of Asinara. We've arrived.
-Is that our hotel? -Hotel.
We're going to sleep there, but actually it's a prison.
Imagine that. We go to jail while the Mafia roams free.
MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON ASINARA ISLAND, 1985
Has she seen a doctor?
She dreams of seeing her father being blown to bits.
Can a doctor help that?
-Is there anything I can do? -Give up.
-Did you find the Pippo Calo' file? -It's over there.
The tables you see here will accommodate
hundreds of lawyers and witnesses.
There 30 steel cages for the defendants.
Metal detectors, electronic monitors, alarms.
Television cameras at every door.
The exterior of the bunker will be manned by 3000 armed soldiers.
Judges Falcone, Borsellino, Guarnotta and Di Lello
have drawn up a landmark indictment of 8000 pages.
With an appendix of another 4000.
Which they dedicate to the late Judge Rocco Chinnici,
who first began this work more than three years ago.
Judge Falcone. For you.
Look.
-What's that? -The bill for prison room and board.
You're kidding.
This I'm going to frame.
Today in Palermo, history is being made as the anti-Mafia pool
begins its combined prosecution
of over 300 accused Cosa Nostra members.
After years of preparation, what is being called the Maxi-Trial
is expected to climax with the testimony of Tommaso Buscetta
about the inside operation of the Mafia.
While he won't be prosecuting the case himself,
Giovanni Falcone is the magistrate responsible for this incredible trial.
And we will be televising it live from beginning to end.
All of you should be in here and I should be out there!
It is a day of shame for Sicily!
No, no! You listen to me. Fuck you. Okay?
I will say nothing! I seal my lips!
Nothing!
Give me that! Give me that stapler!
And how did Giovanni Falcone become so powerful?
We will speak with his supporters and retractors.
Abortion kills more than the Mafia.
Isn't it better to construct something good in this world
than to blindly denounce evil?
Why don't you ask yourself
what kind of image the Mafia has given to the world?
You're all avoiding the most important issue.
Namely, what effect is this going to have on the Sicilian economy?
This is the trial of the criminal organization
known as Cosa Nostra.
Which, with violence and intimidation,
has sown and continues to sow
death and terror.
Lines began forming last night as people waited to see
the first appearance of the star witness of this trial.
I ask that Tommaso Buscetta take the witness stand.
Scum.
-State your name. -Tommaso Buscetta.
That's Michele Greco.
He's ordered over 70 murders. Including that of Rocco Chinnici.
The murder was carried out by Pino Greco.
Silence! I demand silence!
Michele Greco.
They call him "the Pope."
-Do you recognise this man? -Yeah. Luciano Leggio.
He likes to kill.
One wrong word you can smell death in the air.
-And number 35? -Pippo Calo'.
I know something he doesn't.
I know where his son is hidden.
But, I didn't kill his son because he didn't do anything to me.
And, who knows, someday he may become a good man.
But if someone gave me a gun right now
I would kill him here in front of everyone.
My two sons did nothing to him.
But he killed them because their name was Buscetta.
-Why didn't you kill me? -Don't worry!
Silence!
Silence in court!
You laugh because you are afraid.
The game is over Pippo. It's over.
You are over!
-We will never end! -Silence!
So even though these gentlemen may have not killed anyone
with their own hands,
you have decided they are cold-blooded killers.
They ordered the killings.
If I order someone to tell a lie does that make me a liar?
If you build a car that kills the owner who do you charge,
the assembly line worker or the owner of the company?
No murder is committed without the command of a boss.
Cosa Nostra law.
Yes.
Oh, okay, thank you.
Giovanni! The verdicts are in. I'm going with you.
Judge Falcone, how do you feel today?
It's Judge Giovanni, the magistrate!
As the magistrate responsible for this incredible trial,
Giovanni Falcone makes his way in the Maxi-Trial bunker.
The court.
You made it, eh?
In the name of the Italian people,
the Criminal Court of Palermo
declares Toto' Riina, guilty of the crimes of murder,
extortion and kidnapping.
And condemns him in absentia to life in prison.
The court declares Michele Greco guilty of the crimes of murder.
Silence! Silence!
Guilty of the crimes of murder and extortion
and condemns him to life in prison.
Silence!
The court declares Pippo Calo'
-guilty of murder and assault. -Bastard!
And also of the manufacture and distribution of heroin.
And for these crimes condemns him to life in prison.
To everyone in the anti-Mafia pool.
Hear, hear.
You couldn't have given me a more wonderful retirement gift.
-So you've decided. -I have.
And I know I will be leaving the pool in the very best hands.
A toast to the man I'm sure will be the next Chief Prosecutor.
-Hear, Hear. -To Giovanni!
-Cheers. -Prosecutor.
First, I feel Judge Falcone is too young for the job.
If we make him Chief Prosecutor today,
in 10 years he will be on the Supreme Court.
Is that fair to all those who have waited much longer?
Second, I don't believe in personality cults.
I vote for Judge Meli.
That's Meli.
-Giovanni? -He's coming. He'll be here.
Since Judge Meli has never worked as a Mafia investigator,
I cannot give him my vote.
Judge Falcone has it by default.
The day we begin bestowing the stature of genius and superman
on a fellow magistrate is the day we revert to fascism.
-I vote for Judge Meli. -I am outraged!
Are you going to sit here and deny the fact
that Judge Falcone is the engine that moves us all?
You're in! You did it! Congratulations!
Thank you very much. Thanks for your support.
Oh, 14 to 10. There was nothing we could do.
-This is an outrage. -It makes no sense.
The battle is lost when you're isolated. Then they can kill you.
We will continue our work as before.
I will remain in my job. No further comment.
So, what did I say, do you remember?
The Italian state is not serious about fighting the Mafia.
What will it take?
Ask yourself how Toto' Riina could to live in the middle of Palermo
for 23 years, to marry, to father four children and never be captured.
When the state arrests Riina then the real war will begin.
Do you know where they're taking you?
America, I don't know.
To live in a foreign country no past, no dignity.
But at least there I can watch my children grow up.
Do you want children?
You're supposed to bring children into this world, not orphans.
-Do you love your wife? -Very much.
Good.
Because in the end, that's what matters most.
Judge Falcone.
Thank you.
My mandate is to make changes.
My job here is to improve productivity.
You can't expect us to investigate pick-pocketing,
-purse-snatching, prostitution! -Let the chief finish.
This office has an enormous backlog of cases.
Certainly it's work has been outstanding,
but we can't throw a rock at every Mafia dog that barks!
There are other criminals in Sicily.
Is it true your son's father-in-law was arrested as a Mafioso?
That's enough!
Thank you, Judge Falcone.
We fought the Mafia, but we can't fight an old lunatic, eh?
If we lose the fight with Meli, we won't be fighting the Mafia at all.
And if the choice is between not fighting the mafia
or fighting with one hand, I choose to fight!
-Coffee anyone? -All right. Yeah.
-Four? -Me, too.
Judge Corrado Carnevale, who has long had a record of overturning
the convictions of Mafiosi on the smallest of legal technicalities,
today once again lived up to his reputation.
Setting free the Mafia boss Michele Greco,
previously convicted for the murder of Judge Rocco Chinnici.
This brings to 37 the number of alleged Mafiosi
Carnevale has set free in a matter of days.
Nothing changes. Nothing.
If they offer you that job in Rome, will you take it?
No.
Oh, how can you stand this? After all this work and sacrifice.
After all this craziness. And all for what?
It's my job. It's what I do.
-Prego! -It's a bomb!
-Where? -Run!
-Let's go!
Move it out. Take the stairs into the lake.
Who knew you were staying there?
Only the police department and my office know where I am
when I'm out of the city.
So you are saying someone in the police department tried to kill you.
No, I'm only stating facts.
How do we know you didn't plant the bomb yourself as a publicity stunt?
My resignation.
You know what people are going to say?
I don't care what they say, Paolo. I can't.
And with Meli in power, I can do more in Rome.
You're right.
I, I just want you to be happy.
-What does that mean? -You deserve it.
-You and Francesca deserve more. -Happy is for children.
Giovanni, why don't you give yourself a break, huh?
I can't.
Before you regret it. You're only human.
You know, Paolo, my father used to brag
that in his whole life he never took one coffee break.
And, and that gave him a better life? Did it?
No.
-Promise me you'll try. -I'll try.
-You're going to miss all this. -I'm going to miss you.
MINISTRY OF JUSTICE ROME, 1991
Judge Falcone, Judge Falcone!
Judge Falcone, why did you decide to abandon the courtroom?
In Palermo we worked at cleaning a single room and renovating it.
But to fight the Mafia
the entire Palace of Justice has to be cleaned up.
And a carpenter isn't enough. We need an engineer. We need new laws.
I'd like to follow the American model, which includes laws
that protect witnesses. And we should form an Italian FBI.
How do you feel about Judge Carnevale setting free
-many of the Mafioso you convicted? -No comment.
Do you think we will ever see the end of the Mafia?
The Mafia is only human. And like all human things
it has a beginning and will ultimately have an end.
Let's just hope, for all our sakes, its end is near.
-What shall we toast to? -To us. To our anniversary?
-My God. -Incredible.
It's the only date you don't remember.
-I thought you hated opera. -I'm ready to learn.
-Is it a good choice? -Yes. Very good.
It's here that the Count, who has ignored his wife
because he imagined he's found something better,
finally realizes that she is his joy,
his passion, his life.
And with all his love he humbly begs her forgiveness.
I love you, Francesca. You are my life.
...which turned into a triumph for Judge Giovanni Falcone
and his anti-Mafia pool when Judge Arnoldo Valente,
the newly installed as Chief of the Supreme Court,
reinstated most of the sentences imposed by the Palermo Maxi-Trial.
Later that day, in a final irony, Senator Salvatore Lima,
the most powerful politician in Sicily, was assassinated.
Investigators say it was almost certainly a Mafia murder.
-I'm going to Palermo. -What?
You heard they killed Lima.
They're sending a message to the politicians.
This is what happens when you break your promise.
The old alliances are coming apart, Francesca.
They've never been more vulnerable.
-Why do you have to be the one to go? -I want to go.
I want to see Paolo. And it's May-La Mattanza.
I, I haven't missed it since I was a boy.
Disgusting.
Why do you want to see them kill fish?
Francesca, I must go.
PALERMO AIRPORT MAY 23, 1992
-Good to see you. -Welcome.
-Mario! I thought they promoted you. -Well, they did.
Then why are you dressed up like a bodyguard?
Well, you know, when I heard you were coming, I couldn't resist.
-Judge Falcone. -Frederico.
-Welcome. -Thank you. Palermo.
Mario, do me a favour, let me drive.
The last time I let you drive you ended up getting married.
Maybe this time we'll have kids.
Judge! Judge!
Giovanni was the best friend this land could ever have.
A land blessed by God and cursed by man.
I say this because as much as any other element,
our legislature and our justice department
are responsible for Giovanni's death.
Giovanni died long before that brutal May 23rd.
He began to die when Meli was elected Chief Prosecutor.
I will continue Giovanni's work
and the search for the truth.
But I fear I may not have enough time.
Two months later,
Paolo Borsellino and five bodyguards were assassinated.
The funeral nearly become a riot. Mourners attacked the state officials
who failed to protect Falcone and Borsellino.
On January 15, 1993 police finally arrested Toto Riina.
He was charged with and later convicted
of giving the order to kill Falcone and Borsellino.
The killings stunned the Italian state
into conducting the biggest anti-mafia campaign in decades.
Seven thousand troops were sent to Sicily.
Several hundred mafiosi offered to cooperate with police.
One third of the Italian parliament
came under some form of criminal investigation.
The Christian Democrat government collapsed and former Prime Minister
Guilio Andreotti was put on trial for collusion with the Mafia.
He has denied all charges.
Tommaso Buscetta lives with his family
somewhere in the United States.
Both Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino
changed the face of Italy forever.
Translation and subtitles by PEPPER & LALASPAIN *** SONG LIVES FOR EVER ***