[We'd like to tell you

another true story...]

[... another of the stories

that the great river sweeps up...]

[... like dead leaves along the Po

banks on its way down to the sea.]

[Nothing's changed there,

even though time has passed...]

[... the same people

with the same heads as before...]

[... which the same sun

beats fiercely down on.]

[The only thing that's changed is

that the heads also work at night...]

[... because, in the Po Valley,

election fever has broken out...]

[... assuming epidemic proportions.]

Your attention please!

Buy the people's newspaper...

...the workers' newspaper.

Attention please! Attention please!

"Patria Unita", the people's newspaper

with the lists of the front.

Support the fight for peace

by passing on the newspaper...

...of freedom, the newspaper

of the democracy, "Patria Unita"...

...special edition with the lists

of the front's candidates...

...nominated by the workers.

The newspaper of truth,

The newspaper of democracy!

- The newspaper...
- The independent front's newspaper...

...the newspaper of the workers,

the newspaper...

...of the Communist Party.

Buy the people's newspaper...

...the workers' newspaper.

Attention please! Attention please!

"Patria unita", the people's newspaper

with the lists of the front.

I say, newsvendor!

Could I have,
the "Osservatore Romano" please?

It's Mr. Mayor!

I took you for the newsvendor...

...with all those...

What are you selling?

The newspaper of the truth...

The truth for only 25 lire?

That's not much.

Give me one.

Thanks, there you are.

Don't you have change

for 5,000 lire?

I should've imagined it,

sorry, I expect you haven't sold many.

I'm sorry for you but, actually,

I've five bundles already today.

Six if you include mine, Dad.

Six bundles.
Six bundles, to whom?

- 4,500.
- That's enough, that'll do.

- No.
- The honor of having bought...

...Mr. Mayor's newspaper is

well worth 500 lire.

- No, no.
- As you wish.

Here's the change.

Not one lira less...
...we don't take money
from reactionaries.

- Of course not, they say...

- What are you insinuating?

Nothing at all.
Oh no?

- Well I never!
- What?

It's printed in Italian.

- So?
- Buy "Patria unita"...

I thought it would be written

in Russian.

"Patria unita"...
But this isn't quite right...

...there's one "patria" too many

and an accent missing on "unita".

Good day, Mr. Mayor and best wishes

for your news vending business.

- The "Patria"!
- The newspaper of peace!

Jesus, Jesus!

He's on the list,

he's standing as a candidate.

- He's aiming at Parliament.

- What's wrong with that?

What's wrong with it?

Peppone a Member of Parliament!

Why not Minister?

What would you say, Lord,

if I put my name on the list...

...to become bishop?

- Yes, that would be strange.

Forgive me Lord,
but their hypocrisy...

...and their lies exasperate me.

You know very well, Lord,

how I loathe and detest lies.

- What?
- I didn't say anything.

I apologize, I thought...

I will not stand for deceit.

I have many faults, Lord...

...but lying and cheating others

is not one of them.

This independent front is fak...

Like your banknote,

Don Camillo.

My banknote?

Which banknote?

The 5,000 lire note

you foisted on Peppone.

I'd forgotten.
I must have been distracted.

Whatever the case may be, the fact is

you used a fake note to buy...

...a bunch of lies,

It all adds up perfectly.

What about the 4,975 lire...

...Peppone gave you back as change?

How do you account for that?

I could always accept it

as a voluntary contribution...

...from the independent front

to improve...

...the soup we serve

to pensioners in need.

Of course I shall be sending

him an official receipt.

...the clergy!
If you love the truth...

Do you hear them Lord?

But it's no use, they're not going
to win, God will never allow it.

Then may Don Camillo's will be done.

Your will, Lord.

Your will, not mine.

[The Day of Peace

marked the beginning of the battle...]

[... and Red propaganda went

well beyond the words on the posters.]

[Quick-talking men,
who came specially from the city...]

[... began to winkle their way

skillfully into every small group.]

Of course, when it's

the common good that's at stake...

...personal ambitions have

to be put aside.

The honorable gentlemen

who work to achieve...

...social equality and well-being.

We must stand united.

We don't need Party lists,

we need an independent list...

...made up of honest men

of every political color...

...to all you dear comrades.

- We've had enough of politics...

...we want to live in peace!

That's what we women...

...must think about, peace.

- WOMEN, DEFEND YOUR MENFOLK.

DO WN WITH WAR! UP WITH PEACE! -

- Long live women workers!

- Women workers my foot...

...now I have to do everything at home.

You shameful hussy! Come home at once!

I'm hungry, come along with me!
- WOMEN!
ALL GO TO THE MUNICIPAL THEATRE -

[Women specializing
in women's problems...]

[... turned up to point female opinion

in the right direction.]

[A woman's vote is
equal to a man's vote...]

[... but her opinion is

much more important.]

[The party that knows how to win over

women has a secret agent...]

[... in the heart of every family.]

Those of you who are young women,

fiancées, brides...

...and especially those of you

who are mothers, I mean women...

...of every social background,

and of all ages...

...at times like these you must forget

that you were born...

...just to provide sweetness and love,

you must forget...

. how fragile your female nature is

and shout "no"...

...to the people selling guns,

you must respond to the lies...

...of reactionary prophets of doom

with a unanimous voice...

...and shout from the bottom

of your motherly and wifely hearts.

Down with war!

Long live peace!

She's good! I'm going to join.

She certainly has

a fine pair of arguments.

- But who is she?

- She's the comrade sent along...

...by the Federation yesterday.

- So she's staying for a while?

- Apparently.
- Let's hope so.

If I said that kind of thing,

I bet you wouldn't applaud.

But we're not applauding her,

we're applauding her ideas.

Well done comrade, we're proud

to have you here with us...

...to re-organize the women's section.

Organize women?
But since the time of Eve...

...no-one has ever managed to do that,

not even the good Lord!

She'll disorganize
the men's section, that's for sure.

You shouldn't underestimate her.

Speculating about peace...

...and the dove

has been very successful in the past.

Only Picasso really succeeded.

Clay pigeons
make lousy soup...

...whereas my hens
will look like turkeys...

...by election day.

It will be a banquet worthy...

...of Peppone's downfall. Just thinking

about it makes me feel hungry.

Not so fast, Reverend,

they're not in the pot yet.

Peppone is very well known

and you can't say...

...he doesn't have a following.

- What does that mean?
For that matter, he has
a following too... of geese.

Carletto, what are you going to be when

you grow up? A Member of Parliament?

- No, I want to become a priest.

- A priest?

Anyway, don't worry about Peppone...

...there's a huge difference between

a mayor and an M. P... He'll find out.

Maybe we can give him a push.

I think Don Camillo's right,

Peppone will come a cropper.

And, after all, an M.P. Must

have a minimum...

...of political experience.

- And know something about culture.

I bet he doesn't even know

who discovered America.

Christopher Columbus,
October 12,1492.

- Sphere. - Area:
The square of the radius times 3.14.

Volume: The surface area

times the radius, divided by 3.

- The specific weight of bronze.

- 8.80.

- Gold.
- 19.35.

- Portugal.
- 92,000 square kilometers...

...population 8,618,000.
Republic, capital Lisbon.

- That's enough.
- Well done.

I'll show them, and since the exam

is being held here in town...

...no-one can claim

that it's been fixed.
Even if it is only the primary
certificate, it's tough.

Let's hope he won't be intimidated

by the examiners.

I wasn't even intimidated

when they pointed machine-guns at me.

The machine-guns weren't testing you

on history, geography or arithmetic.

Even Pythagoras' theorem doesn't scare

me, but it's not in the exam.

- We shall pass.
- Good for you, boss.

[The sensational news spread

like wildfire through the town.]

["Have you heard? The Red mayor

is sitting the primary certificate".]

[Don Camillo flew into a rage...]

[... and when the fatal morning came,

he was at the scene of the crime.]

[He didn't want to miss the chance

of seeing Peppone suffer.]

Stand here: You can see everything.

You won't be able to hear much...

...but I'll tell you what goes on.

- You keep your ears open...

...you are working for history.

I want to know everything.

Especially what he says

and what he doesn't know.

- Off you go.

- Yes, Reverend.

Here is the problem and the subject

of the essay. Copy them carefully.

Pay attention:
The tank is hemispherical...

...it has a diameter of 2.6 meters

and the water comes out of the tap...
...at 6.27 liters per minute.
Is that clear? If not...

...just ask.
- No, it's all quite clear.

Fur!

Fur!
Come here!

Fur, stop!

Home with you, go away!

And you too.

What can you see?

Nothing.

Then why are you looking?

I'd really like to see my Dad

sitting the primary certificate.

Why isn't he writing, Don Camillo?

And why's he chewing his pen?

He hasn't a clue.

This is going to cause problems.

How can we fail a mayor...

...who's almost an M. P?
- We can't show any favoritism...

...he's like any other exam candidate.

- He doesn't know where to begin.

Can't we give him a hand

and put him on the right track?

No, any irregularities could have...

...very serious consequences.

This has to do with politics.

Reverend! Reverend!

It's all right, Reverend.

Whether he's the mayor or not,

if he doesn't know, he won't pass.

Reverend,
lift me up! Reverend!

Why's he perspiring?

- Is my Dad not well?

- Shh.

(2.6 meters multiplied by

6.27 liters. No, the area... )

(... of the hemisphere, the volume

of the area of the sphere... )

(... the area of the tap, I must keep calm.

The diameter of the liters... )

(... the specific weight of water

times 3.14. Jesus, help!)

Excuse me, Mr. Mayor,

someone in the hall wants to see you...

...to ask you to sign a document.

It's a very urgent matter.

Something to do with admitting

a patient to hospital.

- Where is this person?

- Over there!

- Would you be the patient?

- No, you are.

- Listen, I'm sit...

- You've got donkey disease, Mr. M. P...

You want to become an M.P. And solve

the problems in the South of Italy...

...and you can't even solve

a simple sum...

...at primary certificate level!

- This has nothing to do with you.

Give me the paper to sign

and go to the devil!

Here you are, Mr. Mayor.

Read it and sign it.

I, the undersigned,
Mayor of Brescello, authorize...

...a chapel to be built

on the land near the mill.
What is all this about?
What's the chapel got to do with it?

Where's the patient?

There is no patient...

...but prescription's on the back.

- What prescription?

The solution to the exam problem.

Look.

- First sign.
- Never. This is blackmail!

Blackmail?
No, it's called business.

You give me the building permit

and I help you pass your exam.

It was so simple.
I don't know what I was thinking.

I would have managed

to work it out anyway.

You ungrateful!

- Don't go, you haven't finished.

Your signature's missing. - What?

This total here...

...must be divided by two.

- By two, why?

Yes, because it's a hemisphere.

A hemispherical tank.
Got it?

I'm not completely stupid you know.

And... the essay?

Who is this damned man

I shall never forget?

Me.

You are not a man,

you're a priest!

- If you're a man, I'll see you

later outside! - All right...

...but remember there are two of us:

First you'll have to fight the man...

...and then the priest

will teach you a lesson.

- I want to see my Dad again.

- And I'd like never to see him again.

Look your Dad's getting on fine now.

- ESSAY
A MAN I SHALL NEVER FORGET -

- COMPOSITION
AT THAT TIME... -

[At that time, I was a partisan.]

[One evening, I and some other

partisan friends were ambushed.]

[They put a hole in our boat, but,

in exchange, we wounded many of them.]

[And, in the end, we won the day.]

[In fact, Brusco even came back

with a prisoner.]

The other four have had it.

This one's not in very good shape,

but let's take him with us.

He might be useful
for an exchange of prisoners.

Let's take him

to the fisherman's hut.

You stay here with the others,

and guard the boat.

- All right!
- Perhaps, at the hut...

...we'll find some tools

to mend it with. - Yes, boss.

Smilzo, have these.

Water.

Water.
A priest,
a priest...

I must tell him

something very important.

The lives of many men are at stake.

Your men, do you understand?

Your people.

- Tell us then.
- No.

You would help your own side

and harm our side.

I can understand my enemies...

...but I can't betray my friends.

A priest...

A priest...

[The wounded man kept on asking,

it was clear he wanted the priest...]

[... for his own reasons, too,

reasons involving eternal peace.]

[But he'd be lucky.

Going to find a priest...]

[... in that situation,

was tantamount to committing suicide.]

[Lt was a crazy thing to do:

Of course, we had to save our men...]

[... but then wouldn't it be simpler

to force the prisoner...]

[... to confess what he knew

by using some persuasive tactics?]

[Having weighed up the situation

carefully, I said to my companions:]

I'm going to find this damned priest!

[There was a town not far away

and, by some miracle...]

[... everything went smoothly,

until I reached the bridge.]
[There someone spotted me and let off
a burst of machine-gun fire.]

[I had to sit down on the bank

for quite a while.]

[Then, I reached the town,

found the church...]

[... and headed cautiously

for the priest's house.]

[I didn't want to frighten the priest

so I tapped on the window pane.]

[There was no answer.

Then, from outside...]

[... I told him there was

nothing to fear, that I was alone...]

[... and that I wanted to speak

to a priest. There was no reply...]

[... so I decided to try the door again

and was surprised to find it open.]

[I was about to leave,

when, suddenly...]

[... I found a young priest facing me.

He was white with fear and trembling.]

Hands up!
[The sight of my weapons...]

[... must have terrified him.]

[He was trembling so violently that he

wasn't sure where to put his hands.]

[He asked me humbly what I wanted.]

Did you need the skin of a curate

for your collection?

- Who are you?

- I'm not a murderer...

...I’m a fighter.
My name's Peppone.

What do you want?

If a man lay dying and wanted

to make confession for his own sake...
...and in order to save some lives,
what would you do?

I would go to see him.

And if going to see him meant

risking your neck?

- You had to risk yours to come here?

- Yes.

[The priest was wavering, trying

to find excuses why he couldn't come.]

Then I must risk my neck, too.

Come on!

[He needed a lot of convincing...]

[... and I had to encourage him

even more on the way back.]

[He followed me like a little dog.]

[When we reached the famous bridge

with no cover...]

[... and he heard the machine-gun fire,

he dug in his heels.]

[Lt was too hard a test for him.]

[To make him cross the bridge

I had to use force.]

[He crossed it so fast

that I couldn't stop him...]

[... until we reached the hut.

In the end, it was just as well...]

[... because, otherwise,

we wouldn't have got there in time.]

[The wounded man only had

the strength to unload the weight...]

[... he had on his conscience.]

[20 minutes later, the young priest

emerged and said that...]

[... it was all over. He didn't have

the courage to leave...]

[... and we tried to cheer him up

with a few words of encouragement.]
Well, Reverend, may we ask
what he had to tell you...

...that was so important?

- No.

Reverend, if he told you anything

that could affect our companions...

...you must tell us.

War is war and official secrets...

...and regulations are

all very well up to a point.

Reverend, that guy was dying,

and even if we'd pointed...

...a machine-gun at his stomach,

he couldn't have cared less.

But you're not like that,

you are strong and healthy...

...and you care

whether you get hurt or not.

Well, have you made up your mind?

Go ahead and shoot.

What are you waiting for?

[What had we said wrong?

Nothing, we were very gentle...]

[... and yet we frightened him so much

that, we discovered later...]

[... he had hurried off to use

the prisoner's information...]

[... and thus prevented 50 of our men

from falling into an ambush.]

[Poor little priest,

I wonder if he still remembers me?]

[I wonder if he died of fear? And, if

he's still alive, what he's doing now?]

A disaster, Reverend, we're ruined.

He's passed everything...

...with flying colors.

I don't understand how he did it.
Neither do I.
Congratulations. Dad's done it.

Here! Here!

Cluck, cluck, my pretty chickens.

How are your hens,

Reverend?

Very well indeed, Mr. Mayor,

for the time being. Until the day...

...you lose the elections.

Risum abundorum
in buccam pretorum.

- Good day, Reverend.

- Good health to the cultural front.

[Even when he had passed

his primary certificate...]

[... Peppone didn't change. Thus,

despite tactical electoral demands...]

[... he was still the same old Peppone.]

If Bezzi won't yield

to gentle persuasion, he may yield...

...to more brutal methods. What

are you waiting for? You do not move.

He says he won't give me

another extension.

- Then we shall get one somehow.

- Yes, yes...

Reverend, I know,
the law is on my side...

...but I don't want to go that far.

Tasca's got the Party behind him.

What can we do, Bezzi?

We can only wait and see.

But I can't wait any longer.

You must help me to persuade Tasca.

Me? That Bolshevik

will never listen to me.
We need someone to force him out.

Go and see the mayor.

The mayor?
But he's the leader of Tasca's group.

No, one moment.

The head of the gang is Peppone...

...the mayor is Mr. Bottazzi.

That's different.

Well... I don't feel like facing

either of them.

Now you go home.

If Bezzi turns up...

...get them to tell him you're not in.

- All right.

- Good day, Mr. Mayor.

- Good day to you.

Do you know Mr. Bezzi?

He's asked my advice...

...but I've brought him here because

it's rather a delicate matter...

...and only the authority

and the profound sense of justice...

...of the town's first citizen

can help him.

We are here to help, tell me all.

On the feast of St. Martin last year,

I bought a small farm...

Yes, it belongs to the Tronconi,

who rent it out as a share-cropper...

...to a certain Romeo Tasca.

I don't know if you know him?

I was a share-cropper once,

but I've made sacrifices...

...and I bought that piece of land.

I must have the right of entry...

...mustn't I? But the sharecropper

who's living in the farm, Tasca...
...won't leave, even though
the deadline passed ages ago.

I see, but what can I do about it?

You see, I don't want to have

to resort to legal measures...

...I would like to sort it out

between us amicably.

That's why we've come to see you,

Mr. Mayor.

I think you should offer

an extension to sharecropper Tasca.

I've already given him two and,

after all, I have bought the place...

...and I want to farm it.

It's my right.

Only the workers have rights.

You have decided to become

a land-owner. Sort it out yourself!

If Tasca doesn't get out,

we'll have to consult the authorities.

Here, the only authority I recognize

is the people and we are the people.

If that's how things stand,

I'm warning you, I'm putting Bezzi...

...under my protection.
Let's go, move!

It'd be better if you looked

after your hens.

My hens? They're fine.

They're like you:

...they're getting nice and fat.

See you soon,

no doubt Mr. Mayor.

Get thee hence, Reverend,

We'll meet again at Philippo.

At Philippi, Mr. Mayor,

Philippi!
Don't let's get our history
mixed up with our geography.

We will not tolerate

violence from anybody.

[Peppone knew Don Camillo well and,

having seen him leave at top speed...]

[... realized that

there was no time to waste...]

[... and immediately activated

the emergency defense plan.]

[And just as well, because Don Camillo

had immediately decided to execute...]

[... his own plan, with the aim

of launching the offensive...]

[... as soon as possible.]

Here's the boss. Come on.

- Hello, boss.
- Hello.

- Everything OK.
- Fine!

As soon as they turn the corner,

the team must pounce on their bicycles.

They'll come by in a few minutes

as if by chance.

What if they arrive on a tractor?

How will you stop them?

With those, comrade.

As soon as the team arrives...

...close the bridge with those logs.

They'll have a job passing those!

- They'll have no choice but to stop.

- If you ask me, when they realize...

...what's happening, they'll go home.

- If they don't, we'll take them home.

- Including the priest.

- Absolutely!

We have the honor of having with us

a comrade from the Federation...
...who has to report on the activities,
of comrades in the provinces.

Boss!

- Boss!
- What's happening?

In the square, come and see...

- What is this circus?

- You told me to sort it out myself...

...so I did.
- Clear off immediately!

And where am I supposed to take

the kids and my wife in this state?

When you let me occupy

my land, I shall leave.

I shall report you for

unlawfully occupying public property.

I shall report you for

unlawfully occupying private property.

If you don't...

Good, here comes the priest,

now there'll be fun and games.

What's happening, Mr. Mayor?

Are you setting up a campsite?

But it's not a very suitable location,

rather draughty, don't you think?

And then, just between ourselves,

it attracts a nasty class of people.

Mr. Mayor,
in the council chamber...

A calf?
Mr. Mayor's had himself replaced.

What?

[Lt had reached stalemate.

The Bezzi continued to repeat...]

[... that they wouldn't move from there

and Tasca continued to shout...]
[... that he wouldn't leave even if they
fired cannonballs at him.]

[And so the matter got

more and more complicated.]

The marshal went down to the city.

The prefect has apparently served

an eviction order on Tasca.

Good! It's exactly what we wanted:

To force the authorities...

...to carry out their duty.

- What will the Reds do?

We're not exactly throwing Tasca

out into the street.

He can take over Bezzi's place.

The owner agrees.

Peppone has said he won't give in

even if we resort to cannon fire.

His bark is worse than his bite.

- If you don't mind...

- Feel free to leave.

Lord, goodness knows what would happen

if I weren't here...

...to keep the peace

and calm their troubled breasts.

Spicciolo, what do you want?

You've got the wrong place,

This isn't the Kremlin, you know.

Reverend, something's troubling me.

- Indigestion?
- No...

...one of those great big things

with caterpillar wheels.

- A tractor?
- Yes, sort of...

...but there's a cannon on it.

- You mean you've swallowed a tank?

And I can't digest it.

It's a German tank...

...an old one, from '45,

when the Germans were retreating.

One of them broke down

on the road through Tasca's field.

- So what?
- Nothing.

Two Germans got out,

and got as far as Tasca's yard...

...they asked for some wine

and got drunk.

That's when Tasca did

something really stupid.

- What did he do? Kill them?

- No, at that moment...

...a column of Germans

was driving past in retreat.

Tasca stopped a truck,

spoke to a Sergeant...

...and told him two of their soldiers

were at the farm blind drunk.

The Sergeant collected them,

threw them into the truck and left.

I don't understand
why you're telling me this story.

Because the tank's still there...

...where the Germans left it,

under the twig pile.

What?

And, naturally,
since '45 he's never found a moment...

...to declare it
to the military authorities.

- It was a souvenir.
- A mere trinket...

Then politics reared its head

and we thought...
...that the tank might
come in handy at some time.

- Listen to him! Why confess this to me?

- Who should I confess to? The vet?

- You're the curate.

- But I'm also a middle heavyweight.

Poor thing, it's taken you a few years

to feel remorse.

What remorse? The fact is that

Tasca can't leave...

...the farm because, if he goes

and someone else moves in...

...and discovers the tank,

we're ruined.

That's why Peppone is defending

the sharecroppers against the owners.

This is what he calls social justice!

Reverend, that's not all.

There's something else.

What now? A submarine?

Reverend,
soon the police will arrive...

...in armored cars and Peppone...

- And Peppone...

...has mined the bridge

across the old canal.

- Mined it? He must be

out of his mind! - When he sees...

...white and green flares go up

on the other side of town...

...it means
that the armored cars are coming...

...he'll blow up the bridge

and Tasca's farm will be cut off.

Lord!

- And where's Peppone?

- He's guarding...
...a mine under the bridge.
I'm guarding the other one...

...on the embankment.

- You come with me...

...to defuse the mine!

- I've already done it.

I'm a coward
because I've betrayed Peppone...

...but it seemed
even more cowardly not to betray him.

Stay here then.

I'll deal with that madman.

No, Don Camillo, where are you going?

If Peppone sees you...

...he'll blow up the bridge without

waiting to see the flares.

- Get out of my way!

- Don Camillo!

Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor.

- Get off that bridge.

- Why?

- Hic manebitur optime.

- Go to hell...

...and take your damned Latin with you!

The bridge is about to be blown up.

If the bridge goes up,

then so will I.

- The bridge is mined!

- You...

...get bored unless you use

dynamite. You're not...

...a party,
you're a bunch of pyromaniacs.

There you are, what did I tell you?

Get off the bridge

you infuriating priest!

In a second I'm going to press the lever.

They must not pass!
- Go ahead, Mr. Mayor.
- Get off I said!

Get out of the way!

Get out of the way!

- Try and get me off if you've got

the courage. - I certainly will.

Stop! Where are you going?

Stop!

You don't know what you've done.

I'm ruined.

- You would have been ruined

if the bridge had gone up. - Shut up...

...what do you know about my problems?

- I know everything:

...you're afraid that the police

will discover that under the twigs...

...there's a dove of peace which,

instead of going "coo", goes "bang".

It's not true. If Tasca hid the tank

it's because he needed a tractor.

A tractor, yes, for the blind.

Maybe you're right: If the bridge

had gone up it would have been worse.

- Now, God help me.

- We've cracked it, Jesus...

You go and see Tasca.

Tell him he's got to leave in an hour.

I'll go and stop the police.

I have an idea about the tank.

- Off you go!

- All right, boss.

[Things went
exactly according to plan.]

[Peppone kicked out sharecropper

Tasca. Don Camillo, having met...]

[... the marshal and the police,

told them the matter was now solved...]

[... and persuaded them to go home.]

[Then, when night fell, he put

Operation "Panzer" into action.]

Pass me that torch.

Comrade, you give out orders

like a capitalist land-owner...

...if you're not careful

I'll report you to the Reds!

If I were your master,

you would weigh 20 kg less.

I bet I would, with only

draughts to eat.

No, I'd make you work,

you only work with your mouth...

...oremus, vobiscum, you don't

exactly overdo it in your job.

You be quiet...

...you certainly don't get headaches

from overwork, you good-for-nothing!

You called me a good-for-nothing.

You see?

Listen, it doesn't sound as if it's been

standing still for so long.

The engine's as good as new.

You expect me to believe that?

All these years...

...you've been tending it like a child

getting it ready for the great day!

- That's not true.

- I beg you pardon, I apologize.

You obviously wanted to use it

for Sunday outings with the family.

But this is the American star!

It wasn't the Germans...

...retreating, it was
the Americans arriving.

Reverend, all sorts of people

come and go through Italy.

How can we possibly know

who's coming and who's going?

They all speak foreign languages.

Come on, let's go.

Let's go.

[They set off.

They had a very precise aim.]

[15 or 20 days later, on the basis of

anonymous information, the marshal...]

[... would find an old army tank

in the hole in Boscaccio...]

[... that had lain there

forgotten since the war.]

Stop! Stop!

I said stop!
Stop!

What is all this noise?

A division of tanks?

No, they're farm tractors,

they work at night.

What a bit of luck.

With the noise they're making...

...no-one will hear us. Let's go,

I'll show you the way with the torch.

- If you play any practical jokes...

- What will you do to me?

- I'll shoot the cannon at you.

- All right.

Straighten up!
Straighten up!

That's enough,
now follow the road...

...I’ll tell you when to turn off

to cut across the fields.
All right.

Here we are,
get ready to turn.

But there's a house over there,

it's not safe.

Well go round it! To the right!

Come on,
turn sharp right. Down the bank!

What's happened?

- One of the levers has got stuck.

- Is it serious?

- No, no... I've fixed it.

- Thank goodn... Oh!

Go slowly!

What are you doing,

are you mad?

It's this dumb lever.

It's sticking again.

We're doing fine, we're nearly there.

Today's Friday,
I trust you're not eating meat?

No, Reverend.

Listen, are you starting again?

Now that's fine.

Yes, but it's better

if I climb on board too.

You're not much good as a mayor...

...but you're a jolly good mechanic.

- Come on, forward.

- Straight ahead?

Yes, drive into the ditch.

Here.

Turn right now, sharp right.

Down we go!
Thank God,
we've done it.

And all thanks

to this good-for-nothing...

I say,
it's a beautiful machine, isn't it?

The Germans are really ace

at making some things.

Especially when they're Americans.

Do you know anything about

the insides of these things?

- Yes, yes.
- What's that thing there?

That's the shift,

this is the right caterpillar wheel...

...this is the left caterpillar wheel.

And what's this for?

- Which one?
- This one.

- This one here?

- Yes.

That's ought to be the thin gummy.

I wonder where it went?

I'm here.

I wasn't talking about you,

I meant the shell.

Do you think they loaded their cannon

with mortadella?

- Here's Peppone!
- What delinquents!

- What's happening?
- Look!

It looks almost as if it's flown off.

- Don't talk rubbish.

- When I find out who did this...
It's obvious:
Some reactionary...

...blew it up with a bomb.

We shall not acknowledge

this bloody insult.

Popular indignation
will brand this provocation.

I also wish to speak out against

the perpetrator of this heinous...

...crime against democracy.

- Instead of being indignant...

...it would be better

if you didn't throw bombs. Wretches!

[With the election now in full swing,

the people, woken suddenly...]

[... by a scandalous terrorist attack,

were unlikely to be in a good mood...]

[... and that night it seemed

that nothing could be done...]

[... to avoid something awful happening.

But then someone shouted...]

[... at them to stop, saying

that this was no time for argument...]

[... and that something very serious

was taking place at the Town Hall.]

That poor little baby would

no doubt preferred to have been born...

...in a stable than under

the Communist administration.

Oh yes? Is it any better

being born under Church protection?

If nothing else, at least the church

has a more spacious portico.

[The great day was creeping closer. Time

before the battle was getting short...]

[... and contact with the city

was becoming ever more frequent.]

[Instructions and propaganda material

had to be procured from head office.]

[Don Camillo often had to go into town,

too and one day...]

[... he missed the train home.

He started to walk...]

[... trusting his luck

to thumbing a ride.]

Wretches,
long live social justice!

Forgive me, Jesus, it just popped out.

If only you knew how awful it is...

...for a poor priest to have to walk home,

corns and all.

But, Mr. Mayor!

I didn't recognize you!

- Neither did I.
- If I'd seen...

...who it was...
- Neither would I!

Can I get in? Excuse me...

Is this a Russian car?

Ah! The Russians...

Is this the type of car you hope

to give away to the proletariat?

What fuel does it run on?

Petrol...

...or electoral promises?

And how come your secretary

isn't with you, Mr. Mayor?

Did you leave her at home

writing your first speech?

What are you doing?

Nothing, get out and wait

for a car from the Vatican...

...come on, out you get.

Is there something wrong,
Mr. Mayor?

If the car
from the Vatican goes past...

...we could tow you.

Use this.

Look, I feel sorry for you.

Go back there and push, go on.

You push and I'll drive.

I'll drive.

Hey!

Stop!

If you wait for a while, the car

from the Kremlin will go past...

Oh! Stop.

[But, in fact, that day

the car from the Kremlin...]

[... had had to take a different route

and poor Peppone was furious...]

[... partly because the van was full

of rather sensitive material.]

[Lt would not be fair to think

that Peppone's ambitions...]

[... were as immense

as his portrait.]

[A poster 3 meters by 2 was

simply how Peppone evaluated...]

[... people's naïveté. He knew that

the bigger they printed...]

[... the name of an aperitif, the more

people drank it. Similarly he thought...]

[... the larger he made the candidate

the more people would vote for him.]

[In any case, Peppone was sure that

under the brand new...]

[... dove of peace,

that enormous face of his...]

[... would have an irresistible effect,

and in fact, he was right.]

Boss, look at that!

That priest will pay for it this time,

you'll see.

[Lt was logical that a joke of this kind

could not be tolerated...]

[... easily by Peppone

and his comrades. And so...]

[... as always happens, when

something is mixed up with politics...]

[... the farce began to have

tragic overtones.]

Eliminate, I said.
Physically eliminate.

But, boss, you cannot compromise

your reputation.

We'll pull the names out of a hat.

Put my name in, too.

Whatever names are pulled out can't

back out. Each must act as he sees fit.

If he gets caught, he must pay for it.

It's his own affair.

The others know nothing about this.

[From then on, ruthless eyes spied

on innocent Don Camillo...]

[... waiting for the right moment to strike.

That evening Don Camillo...]

[... had lingered in church

longer than usual and...]

[... after a while he fell asleep.]

[Lt was a fatal error to commit

and, in fact...]

[The man walked with a soft tread.

Every movement he made...]
[... betrayed a strong emotion.
He had something hidden...]

[... under his cloak,

that he would pull out...]

[... when the time was right.]

[When he reached the altar right under

where Don Camillo slept...]

[... he prepared
to conclude the operation.]

[A minute later people living nearby

would hear...]

[... a cry which, it must be said,

was anything but human.]

What a strange dream I had, Lord.

I dreamed that I came

to offer you a candle...

...and that I came in

by the side-door using...

...a picklock,
you know, a fake key.

Dreams are really strange sometimes.

Yes, especially dreams

that really do bring me candles.

- Have I been sleep-walking?

- Look over there, Don Camillo.

It's Peppone's hat.

So it was him...

...with the picklock...

- Don Camillo.
- Yes?

Leave the hat there.

What am I supposed to do with it?

Leave it on the pew

as if he'd left it...

...to keep a place.

One day he'll come back, you'll see.
He'll come back without a picklock
and walk in through the main door.

It's a beautiful dream.

[But, meanwhile,
things were very different.]

[Don Camillo realized

fifteen minutes later.]

- GO FORTH AND MULTIPLY -

In case you didn't realize,

I'll tell you:

...they've stolen your chickens

from under your nose!

[At that point Don Camillo said

a few things aloud...]

[... that are best not repeated here.

Fur the dog was partly to blame...]

[... but it was a miracle that

Don Camillo did not also take it up...]

[... with the authorities.]

What's the matter, Reverend?

What's happened?

Well, someone's tricked me.

Listen:

...when I went into the church at 9,

the chickens were here...

...and when I came out again at 11,

they'd gone.

Didn't you hear anything?

Didn't the dog bark?

How could I hear? First I was playing

the organ. Then I fell asleep.

Do you suspect anyone?

Yes I suspect that

someone has pinched my chickens...

...and I won't be able to eat them.

As for you, some guard dog you are...

...from now on, no more bones for you!

That'll teach you!

Marshal!

If it's of any interest to you,

at 10.30 we saw a man with a cloak...

...go into the priest's garden.

He came out again at 11 on the dot.

And under his cloak he could have had

even more than five hens!

- What did he look like?

- He looked exactly like the mayor.

It was him because, when he came

out again, he didn't have a hat...

...I saw him quite clearly.

- Don't mention this to anyone.

Can you give

me your personal details please.

[Lt was a sad day for Don Camillo:]

[... the theft of the victory chickens

weighed heavily. He felt defeated.]

[Though he had his suspicions,

he had no definite proof...]

[... and now he felt close

to frothing at the mouth.]

[That evening, the secret services

brought him some very precious news.]

[Lt was reliable information:

The woman had seen it...]

[... herself with her own eyes and

was willing to testify to the fact.]

[She knew precisely...]

[... where Don Camillo's hens

had ended up.]

I looked in at the window

and saw him snoring.

I said, time to act. But then someone

went into the church.

- Who?
- Some stupid old bigot.

Boss, you don't want to choke to death

over the victory chickens, do you?

I would give anything to see

Don Camillo's face.

Enjoying your meal, my children?

I have dared to disturb you...

...because I want
to speak to the mayor...

...about the nursery school,

but he can't give me an answer...

...because his mouth's too full.

On the contrary.
Where better to speak than at table?

No, sit down...

...would you like the parson's nose?

Indigestible stuff.

Sold yourself to Moscow, have you?

That was unfortunate.

No, it wasn't. Now, during the night

he'll explode with rage.

- He has no proof against us.

- He can't do anything.

- That's true.
- Chickens are all the same...

...they aren't stamped

with a registration number.

There you are, you have some too.

You have some...

Excuse my disturbing you, Mr. Mayor,

but I must discuss an urgent...

...and extremely confidential matter.

- I have no secrets from them.

Tell me. Come in!

It's about Don Camillo's chickens.

The theft took place between
9 and 11 this evening...

...do you follow me? - Of course,

but what's it got to do with me?

Everything because you were seen

going into...

...the priest's garden at 10:30

and emerging again at 11 on the dot.

It's a damned lie.

I've no doubt...
That is, you deny...

...going into the priest's garden

at 10:30...

...and coming out again at 11?

- No, I... I...

I deny having stolen his hens.

I believe you.
But then you must tell me...

...what you were doing tonight

in the priest's garden.

I have nothing to say,

this is a personal matter.

Mr. Mayor,
can you at least tell me...

...where those white hens come from?

I don't keep records of chickens,

I'm afraid, ask them.

I shall ask the magistrate.

- Good evening, Mr. Mayor.

- Good evening, Marshal.

Sounds as if you're
in deep trouble, boss.

He's got nothing to do with it.

I stole the hens.

Yes, but they saw me

and if you took the blame, they'd say...
...it was a political maneuver.
Anyway, it was my idea...

Boss, what were you doing

in the priest's yard?

That's my business.

[At election time everything

is grist to the mill, even 5 hens.]

[Peppone's adversaries
took advantage of them to create...]

[... a scandal and legal proceedings

were initiated.]

[The whole town was present...]

[... except Don Camillo.

It was a question of style!]

No, I don't want to go.

No, no, no,

I can't go...

...because defeating one's adversary

is one thing...

...but acting ferociously is another.

And so Peppone
will be condemned.

The seventh commandment says

"you must not steal".

That's what the Gospel says.

Peppone is innocent.
While they were stealing your hens...

...he was here and you saw him.

No, I...

I didn't see anything.

I was dreaming.

Dreams usually don't forget their hats.

And so... So if he was here

why doesn't he say so?

Because no-one would believe him.

Don Camillo,
would you let a man be shamed...

...just because he ate a little chicken?

A little chicken, Lord?

One little chicken!

Politically speaking,
Lord, one could say that, today...

...those little chickens have become

as large as elephants.

They will condemn Peppone...

...and when a man has been condemned,

he can't run for M.P....

...is that clear?

What do you want?

- A blessing.
- Why...

...would you like to see your father

sitting a chicken-stealing exam?

My father's not a thief.

And I wasn't born to sort out

your father's stupid mistakes.

Don Camillo!

Jesus, don't let tiny kids

play politics.

Don Camillo!

For your father's sake, pray

that he will not be elected as M. P...

Hail Mary, full of grace

among... among women...

...and blessed is
the fruit of your breast Jesus.

Silence!

Silence
or I shall have the courtroom cleared.
The marshal's testimony and statement
speak for themselves.

You were caught red-handed

with the stolen goods in the sack...

...in the plate actually.

Silence! You were not able to explain...

...to the marshal

what you were doing...

...between 22:30 and 23.

Do you have anything to say now?

- No.
- You don't want to tell us?

No, I cannot tell you.

It's a private matter.

So you are in the habit of conducting

your private matters...

...behind chicken runs?

Silence, silence!

Very well.

The testimony requested by the defense

has been granted.

Bring in the witness.

You may sit down.

Do you swear to tell the truth,

the whole truth...

...and nothing but the truth.

Say "I swear".

I swear.

There was something you wanted

to tell the court?

Yes, that, between 10:30 and 11 p.m.,

while they were stealing my hens...

...the accused, Giuseppe Bottazzi,

was with me, in church.

Silence!
Excuse me, Reverend,
but why didn't you say it earlier?

Everything that happens in church

between a priest and his flock...

...is covered by professional secrecy.

Reverend, can I ask what the accused

came to do in church at that hour?

To have singing lessons?

My son, to come closer to God,

the night is as good as the day.

I know, but I don't understand why

the accused didn't admit that...

...he went into your garden,

and then went into the church.

Politics, Your Honor.

The accused Bottazzi is the leader...

...of the Communists in this area

and he comes secretly to church...

...unbeknown to his comrades. He can't

criticize priests all day and then...

...come openly to church,

like a good Christian.

Is that why he came in

by the yard?

Yes, by the side-door.

He can come whenever he wants.

He has the key.

Him a chicken thief?

With his friends as accomplices?

They're good god-fearing people

every one of them!

By day they blaspheme to obey

the dictates of the Party, but...

...at night they come to ask God

for forgiveness, weeping and so...

...I try to console them,

I listen to their little problems...
...and afterwards I send them home
in peace, with a smile on their lips...

...and give them blessed prayer cards.

Come to think of it...

...that night I forgot

to give him a prayer card.

And to say
that he really deserved it.

It's St. Barbara,

the patron saint of artillerymen.

Good day, Your Honor.

My children...

Good day.

What's the matter, comrade?

You've been cleared.

Everything's all right now, isn't it?

Yes, I'm cleared but ruined.

That damned priest...

...made a laughing-stock out of me.

He made me look like a clown.

You're wrong, comrade, the people

really appreciate Communists...

...who get up in the night

to go to church.

That priest has earned you

some more votes.

[This comrade Clotilde

was a woman who...]

[... apart from everything else, had

a strong character and Peppone was...]

[... bewitched by her charm. A few words

from her would cheer him up again.]

[Beneath his tough exterior, Peppone

had a soft, sensitive heart.]

[Finally, that evening, in response

to a precise question put by her...]

[... he found the courage

to speak to her from his heart.]

Why have we stopped here, comrade?

Because...

...I want to ask you a question.

- Go ahead.

Comrade...

...do we see this land of ours

being fertilized and purified...

...by the proletarian revolution?

You obviously do see it...

...you're young.
- Comrade...

...it's men like you

who will lead us to victory...

...the men of your generation...

...men of fifty.
- 49.

You represent
strength, solidity.

Comrade,
I want to confide something to you.

- Young people disappoint me.

- They disappoint me too, comrade...

...I would like to confide in you...

...now, you see...

- Tell me.

- It's rather a delicate matter.

- Don't you trust me any more?

Yes.

I...

- Comrade.
- Tell me.

The...
The sales of the "Unità" are falling.

- What's the matter, comrade?

- Nothing's the matter.

- No, you're thinking something.

- Yes...

...I’m thinking that it's marvelous

that the Party...

...can count on men like you,

who live only...

...for ideas and in the certainty

that victory will finally come.

Come, let's go back, then we can talk

about heavy industry...

...and nuclear research

in the Soviet Union.

Yes, comrade.

[Of course, not everyone

suspected how timid...]

[... Peppone was, nor did they

restrict his obvious interest...]

[... in the secretary purely to politics.

In fact, someone...]

[... who saw things at first hand,

was weighing him up carefully...]

[... and attaching increasing importance

to the brilliantine that Peppone...]

[... had slapped on his hair

since the day she arrived.]

[One evening, Don Camillo

saw someone come into church...]

[... someone he certainly

hadn't been expecting to see.]

Lord,
but it's the mayor's wife...

...she hasn't been here for years.

The last time was for a christening

for one of their children.

I wonder what she wants?

Poor thing!
Excuse me...

...perhaps I can do something for her.

If I'm not mistaken you're the wife

of the new primary school teacher.

I'm not in a joking mood,

Reverend.

You know very well

I'm the mayor's wife.

I beg your pardon, I thought

the mayor's wife was another woman.

A young, dark-haired girl.

You may be joking,

but I can tell you I'm suffering.

Since that woman arrived,

life's been a torment.

It's not right, comrade, your husband

doesn't belong to you any more.

A representative of the people

belongs to the people.

You wanted an M.P. For a husband...

...so you must suffer

the consequences stoically.

I'm fed up with putting up

with things. I'm leaving him...

...I’ll take the bike

and leave this very evening.

I'm going back to my own town,

to my mother's.

May the Virgin Mary give me

the strength to leave my kids.

Please will you light this for me.

One candle for having given her

the courage to leave.

And one more to ask you to give

her the courage to go back.

Don Camillo!
Don Camillo!

Is that you Mr. Mayor?

- Where's my wife?
- Which? The old one or the new one?

She came here, people say they

saw her coming in.

If you're referring to the mother

of your children, yes...

...she was here,

but then she went home.

She's not there now.

She's disappeared. Look.

- NO W YOU HAVE A SECRETARY,

YOU NO LONGER NEED A WIFE. GOODBYE. -

Heavens above! When she came

I didn't think she was serious.

But she told me she wanted to...

What did she want?

What did she want?

To throw herself into the canal.

Maria!

Maria!

Jesus,
I said that for his own good.

Maria!

Maria!

Maria!

She's not here.

And neither is the bike. If someone

wants to drown, they get off first.

I wonder where she's gone to jump

in? Maybe the other bridge.

If she's killed herself,

I'll kill myself too.

That's a good idea.

This is no time for joking. You've

no idea what it's like to have a wife.

But I know you still love yours.

Leave this to me, get on.

There she is!

Yes, that's her. She's seen us.

Maria!

Maria!

Stop, Maria!
Wait!

What do you want from me?

- What do you want?

- I don't believe it!

- Leave me alone!
- Come home.

No, I'm fed up

with the whole town laughing at me.

- Don't talk nonsense.

- Nonsense...

...if I got myself a secretary,

what would you do?

But what's it got to do with me? It

was the Party who sent her. Come on.

And you can keep her.

Did I marry the Party?

- Come on, let's go, off we go.

- When you're an M.P., marry her.

- All right... - If you think

I'm going to vote for you...

...to help you become an M.P.,

you've got another think coming.

- I'll wait.
- Calm down! Calm down.
I'm going to vote for the Church,
I swear, for the priests!

Vote for whoever you want

But come home and stop it.

Don't worry, Mrs. Bottazzi,

he's not an Honorable Member yet...

...and, as mayor, he doesn't have

to change his wife, so...

Hey!

What about me?

This time he really will have to wait

for the car from the Vatican!

[Don Camillo didn't reply.

He was far too happy, he knew...]

[... he had achieved his aim,

he knew that, after the fright...]

[... he'd had that evening,

Peppone would merely regard...]

[... his secretary

as a proud comrade in the struggle...]

[... and that he would never

slap brilliantine on his hair again.]

Lord, the ways of Providence

are indeed infinite...

...I know, but why did I have

to end up on one 22 km long?

[And another thing consoled

Don Camillo that evening.]

[The vote Peppone's wife had promised

was well worth...]

[... cycling 30 km, after all, one vote

can be of decisive importance.]

- KEEP GOING, BARTALI.

YOU'RE OUT IN FRONT NO W! -

[And now we are almost at the end.

The great day was near...]

[... by now it was a matter of hours.

The big guns of all the parties...]
[... had spoken by now, but Peppone
had kept his trump card till last...]

[... a card he would play

on the eve of the election.]

[He realized the importance of having

the last word, especially...]

[... if the word was spoken by

an even better orator than himself.]

Citizens! Tomorrow
you must all go to the polls...

...to do your duty. Anyone

who doesn't vote, gives votes...

...to the Communists. Listen

to the voice of your conscience.

Remember that, in the secrecy

of the polling booth, God is watching.

And Stalin isn't!

He's still talking...

Smilzo,
go and tell that idiot to stop.

If he doesn't respect our pact,

we'll soon sort him out.

Leave it to me, boss.

Isn't there some way of shutting up

this Cerratini guy?

I can't ring the bells

like I did last time.

Reverend, it's five o'clock,

it's time to switch off the mike.

In Moscow it may be five o'clock.

But in Rome it's ten minutes to five.

We still have ten minutes, 'bye.

- Good-bye.
- See you later.

Good afternoon, Reverend.

Citizens...
...don't forget:
Peppone's band is the worst in the land.

Anyone who votes for the dove,

digs his own grave. That's the end.

In a few moments, you will hear

the voice of Russia in the square.

But first you'll hear

the voice of Peppone.

Citizens, workers...

...before I introduce you to our

independent speaker, Mr. Cerratini...

...I want to say a few words

to the war-mongering reactionaries...

...in the clergy, and on both sides of

the Atlantic, whom we all know well.

To all those black crows

who talk about the fatherland...

Lord, restrain me.

...about sacred borders

that are under threat and other...

...nationalist nonsense,
we say that we are the fatherland...

...we are the fatherland,

the fatherland is the people!

A people
who will never fight...

...against the glorious land

of socialism which will bring...

...freedom and justice

to our oppressed proletariat.

And you youngsters

who end up in those horrid barracks...

...will tell the people who try

to arm you and use you...

...for their own filthy interests,

you'll say that you won't fight.

You'll tell the people who

slander the workers...

...you'll tell those who tell lies

about the people...

You'll tell them that your fathers

defended your fatherland...

...from the barbarian invader

who threatened its sacred borders...

...and that we of 1899,

who fought...

...on Monte Grappa,

on the stony ground of the Carso...

...and on the River Piave,

are the same men we were then...

...and so,
when the cannon thunders...

...it's the voice of the fatherland

that is calling us and we shall answer:

...Present!
- Present!

And those of us who wear

a medal of valor on our chests...

...which we earned on the battle-field...

...will find ourselves fighting

beside youngsters...

...and we shall fight

always and everywhere...

...and we shall pit our soul against

the obstacles and shall defend...

...the sacred borders of Italy

against any foe...

...from the West or the East

for the independence of this land...

...and with the sole aim

of a lasting love of the King...

...and our fatherland.

Long live the Republic!

Long live the army!

Don't worry, comrade.
The bourgeoisie...

...love the glories of the past.

They'll give Peppone lots of votes.

Let's hope so.

[By now the great day had passed.

The elections had taken place...]

[... and the general results had already

been announced. Peppone's party...]

[... hadn't succeeded in obtaining

a majority and Don Camillo...]

[... who ought to have been overjoyed,

was like a cat on hot bricks.]

They must be out of their minds

playing songs...

...instead of telling me
how Peppone got on.

Attention please!
We shall now announce the second list...

...of members elected to the House

based on the votes cast:

...Front for Peace: Ward

25, list No.9:

...Albertoni Marco, Arfù Gino,

Vicci Franco, Besolini Walther...

...Bottazzi...

Lord, Peppone has been elected.

I remember the candle he brought you.

It was a very beautiful candle indeed...

...but if it only takes a kilo of wax

to get elected to parliament...

...with a ton of it, Stalin

could have become Pope.

Poor Don Camillo,

you're so angry...

...that you don't even realize

that you're blaspheming.
Forgive me,
Lord, it's true.

It was such a severe blow...

...my brain's gone mushy.

I came
to retrieve my hat.

You see, Don Camillo?

I told you...

...he'd come back.

And four of his men came with him.

Whether he came back or not,

the fact is: He's still won.

Whereas I would say

that I've won again.

You've won, he's won, and me,

Lord, how do I come out of this?

Don Camillo, Don Camillo,

pretend I didn't hear.

Mayor, M.P.,
M.P., mayor.

Mr. Bottazzi is the mayor,

but Peppone is an M. P...

He's getting too important,

but we'll see.

[The extraordinary council meeting

looked like...]

[... being very dramatic indeed.

The Opposition had demanded...]

[... the mayor's resignation

in compliance with the law.]

[Peppone and his men were ready

to defend their position even if...]

[... it sparked off a revolution.]

[So the atmosphere was tense,

conflict was in the air.]

If those pigs
in the Opposition insist...
...on his resignation,
there will be chaos.

Just look at Filippi,

if he touches Peppone...

...we'll make him eat his words,

paper and all.

It's obvious what the scoundrels want.

They want to get rid of the mayor.

And a mayor like Peppone irritates

them more than anything.

If they ask for his resignation,

I'll throw them out of the window.

It's an interesting program.

If you throw them out of the window...

...I’ll throw you off the roof.

You must get it into your heads

that Mr. Bottazzi...

...cannot harm the country twice...

...first as mayor
and then as M. P...

He must choose,
it's the law.

- You know what you can do with...

- What?

Here's Peppone.

We're ready.

They've even sent us

threatening letters.

Before we begin this session,

I would like to make a declaration.

Tomorrow morning...

Tomorrow morning I'm leaving for Rome

and, in the course of the day...

...I intend to resign as mayor.

That is what I have decided,

in compliance with the law.
Is the Opposition satisfied?

The Opposition would be

much more satisfied...

...if you had decided

to stay on as mayor.

Bravo! Bravo!

[For the first time the Opposition

received applause...]

[... from the councilors of the majority

and the crowd of Red supporters.]

[And there the session ended, because

everything that had to be said...]

[... had already been said.

Peppone was able to go to bed...]

[... and re-charge his batteries

for the long journey the next day.]

- Good morning.
- Good morning lads.

Hello boss.

When you have a wife and kids,

you don't go off being an M. P...

Bye!

Bye, Dad. Bye.

Bye, Dad. Bye.

- BRESCELLO TO WN COUNCIL -

Good-bye, Mr. Mayor!

Well, what's up? This feels

more like a funeral procession.

You know how it is, boss,

after all these years...

...working together,
we're sorry to see you go.

Sentimentalism
is a bourgeois attitude...

...unworthy of the proletarian spirit.

Good-bye, boss.

Oh, it's you, comrade!

My mission is finished,
I'm returning to headquarters in Rome.

- NO TURNING BACK -

What are you doing here?

What do you want?

I have never forgotten that you came

to say good-bye to me...

...when I went into exile.

Now you are leaving.

I'm not going into exile.

I'm leaving because I've won,

not because I've lost.

You've lost your wife,

who voted against you...

...you've lost your town,

where you were somebody...

...what have you won?

You'll become anonymous...

...a ball to be tossed into an urn.

- I shall always be what I am.

- Oh yes?

Well, when you take your seat...

...in a huge hall, like you did

at school, you'll think...

...about all the things you left

behind in this town.

You'll think about what you could see

from the window every morning...

...while you were shaving. You'll think

about your work at the garage...

...and the fun you used

to have on Sundays...

...and you'll even think about me.

I'll no longer be there to give you...
...a kick in the pants when
you deserve it, at least once a day.

When I get back

I'll pulverize you.

You already know

you'll never come back...

...and I can't even say

"See you again soon, Peppone"...

...only "Good-bye,
Honorable Member".

Porter!

Porter!

There he is!

Did you call,

Honorable Member?

- No, Mr. Mayor will do.

- Oh, good.

Let's go.

No, thank you,

the service is free of charge.

No, take this 5,000 lire note, sir.

Oh...

[And so the eternal contest began

all over again, with each one...]

[... trying desperately to be first.]

[However, if one lagged behind,

the other would wait for him...]

[... and so they continued

their long journey together...]

[... towards
the finishing-line of life.]