Anything Is Possible Leonardo

CHANTING IN LATIN

Scusi!

CLOCK BELL CHIMES

Up, up, you lazy loafers!

-Sun's scorching your eyeballs out!

-Coming, Maestro.

-Yes, Maestro.

-Straightaway, Maestro.

Where's my coffee? Cosimo!

Get me coffee!

RAUCOUS MUSIC

Note the reflective quality of the fish's scales.

See how the use of a touch of gold in Raphael's hair reveals him

to be the angel.

Piu bellissime, Maestro.

See the freedom of movement in the poses,

the limbs implying movement.

This is called...

-Contrapposto, Maestro.

-Si, contrapposto.

And your dog, Leonardo.

-Not too bad at all.

-Thank you, Maestro.

See, boys, how the hair starts with darker shades

and builds up with lighter ones.

You see what can be achieved

when you focus. As a reward, the day is yours.

-Squander it as you will.

-Grazie, Maestro.

-Not so fast.

You've got the whole day to work on your latest contraption. First,

we will have breakfast, like civilized people.

Stop fidgeting, Lorenzo.

Can I be excused?

Before the baked turtle dove? I should think not.

We're not peasants.

You will eat a proper six-course breakfast.

And use the right fork.

Va via!

All right, all right!

Keep your hair on, I'm going.

Come on, up! Guiseppi, up, now! Come on.

You too. Come on, Marco.

No way!

Time to work, boys.

THEY GROAN

Go and get me some breakfast.

Peaches.

I'm in the mood for some big, juicy peaches.

Two of them. Make sure they're ripe.

Go on, hop to it!

-May I go out now?

-Certainly not.

Have you forgotten your harpsichord lesson?

Where are you so keen to get to?

What mischief are you plotting?

No mischief, Papa.

I promised to teach my friend Alfonso's little sister Luisa

-courtly dancing.

-Really?

How very chivalrous of you.

Oh!

FOOTSTEPS SPEED UP

EERIE MUSIC

Oy!

Come back this minute!

Oh, no, not you again!

Oy!

Nicked?

And what did he look like, this pilferer,

this peaches thief?

Oh!

The perfect finishing touch! You wait till you see it, Mac.

-The velocerotor, it's fantastic!

-The velocerotor?

-What would you call it?

-Something better!

-You wait, it's gonna fly!

It's efficient, strong but lightweight - elm -

and triangular shaped to distribute the weight...

Er, scusi?

-Charming!

-Oldest trick in the book. Check your pockets, mate.

There's nothing missing. You're so suspicious.

Oy, you - where'd you get that peach?

What are you, the peach police?

I had mine stolen by someone with a hat like yours.

Get off! I didn't steal your peach.

If you're so desperate, have that one!

-That boy's got a terrible temper.

-If you will accuse people of theft.

Lorenzo!

The morning I've had! I thought I'd never get away.

So, where is it, then, this thingamujiggy-whatsit thing?

-Is it ready yet?

-We're about to find out.

He must keep it in the workshop.

We need another way.

Whoa!

Here we go.

HE SHRIEKS, THEN LAUGHS

SHRIEKING AND LAUGHTER

Aargh!

-What do you think you're doing?

-Scusi!

-What in the name of the saints is that?

-A velocerotor.

A what?

Hey, I know you two.

First you call me a thief, now you try and kill me!

She lives!

Speaks, breathes!

Fantastico!

You have really caught her spirit.

Bit down in the mouth. Girlfriend?

My sister, and she's perfectly cheerful, thank you.

-Use your hat. Won't get knocked over.

-Do you really think it's good?

It's more than good.

-He's an artist's apprentice.

-That's what I want to do.

That's why I came to Florence.

-But you need a letter of recommendation.

-And an inventor.

I've never seen anything like it.

How does it work?

It's to do with how the mass is distributed on the front wheel,

and how the forces act on it as it spins.

When you were whizzing towards me, I thought it was a monster.

It's beautiful.

-Bellissima.

-You've got a fan.

I'm not a fan. I just think it's quite clever.

Come on, have a go.

-Really?

-No, it's my turn next!

-Oh, come on, then.

Come on, Lorenzo. Ooh!

-Ciao.

-Ciao...

Lorenzo, you run like a girl!

< MUFFLED CRIES

Where are you taking me?

CHANTING IN LATIN

What do you want?

I haven't done anything.

-I'm nobody.

-I wouldn't say that.

I'm told you have real talent.

What?

How would you like a place as an artist's apprentice?

I'd love it, but it's not possible.

This is Florence. Anything is possible.

I've tried the workshops.

They won't even look at my work without a letter of recommendation.

From the Academy of Art in Rome.

Take it to Verrocchio's workshop. It should gain you entry.

Graz...

Not so fast.

There is an apprentice at Verrocchio's workshop,

a certain Leonardo da Vinci.

We want his notebook.

I'm not a thief.

You will deliver it to the church in the Piazza di Rivoli

before dusk.

HAMMERING

INDISTINCT CHATTER

HAMMERING CONTINUES

MUSIC: Talk Show Host by Radiohead

# I want to

# I want to be someone else

# Or I'll explode

# Floating upon the surface for the birds

# The birds

# The birds

# You want me... #

-Who are you, boy? What do you want?

-I'm, er...

Tomaso.

Impressive. The Academy of Arts is where I trained.

But it's another hungry mouth to feed, and...

I have seen his work, Maestro.

It's fantastico.

The proof of the pudding's in the eating. Va bene.

You have the time it takes Cosimo to prepare me a tea

to impress me. Cosimo!

Draw, you know.

-What took you so long? Chamomile tea, boy, pronto.

-Maestro.

Maestro.

Not bad. Technique raw, but it's expressive.

You captured your subject's essence. Your sweetheart?

-My sister.

-Yes, I see the family resemblance.

Alora, Tomaso Gerardini,

you will join my workshop on trial.

You will carry out any tasks I assign you.

In return, you will be fed and housed. Clear?

-Yes.

-Yes, Maestro!

-Yes, Maestro.

-I will now take my siesta.

You'll start tomorrow. Leonardo will show you the ropes.

-Leonardo?

-Da Vinci. Come on. Vieni.

We make the soft brushes from weasels' tails,

the hard ones from pigs' bristles.

-When you say "we"?

-The apprentices.

Glue, made from rabbits' skin.

One of the boring jobs.

Mixing pigments for paint, much more like it, but...

..messy and very, very expensive,

so he can hit the roof if you get it wrong.

This beauty here is lapis lazuli.

Costs a fortune, but the blue it creates is...

..fantastico.

These...

Mashed-up bugs.

Oh, amazing purple.

We learn...

..drafting, carpentry, chemistry, metalworking, plaster-casting...

Hey!

Relax! It's me that should be worried. You are very good.

Cosi, show Tom where he can sleep.

See you later?

Vieni. Come on.

-Are you an apprentice?

-No, a servant.

I can't draw.

I'll make you a bed next to Leonardo's.

'We want his notebook.'

Oh! I suppose supper isn't for hours?

-There. Would you like me to make you some spaghetti?

-Grazie.

That's really kind.

We know nothing about him, except he pinches peaches.

We know nothing about you, except you're from Milan.

You told me Rome.

It's good to create an aura of mystery, leave people wanting more.

Ciao.

Do you always creep up on people like that?

What can I do? One of my many talents.

I'm Machiavelli, Mac for short.

-Congrats.

-What for?

-Getting a letter of recommendation so quickly.

-It came from Rome just after you left.

-Rome, eh?

-Not got much of an accent.

-We moved there.

-Where from?

Mind your own business!

-You're a runaway, aren't you?

-No.

Certainly not. How dare you!

My parents sent me to stay with my aunt.

-Where does she live, then?

-Via de Pandolfini.

-Very nice.

-She must be rich.

-She is.

Get her to buy you some decent threads, then.

You're very rude. I don't have time to stand here and be insulted.

I'm going to pick up my things from my aunt.

Big fat liar, thy name is Tomaso.

-Vieni! Presto!

-Where are we going?

-What's going on?

He's off to his aunt's on the Via de Pandolfini.

-So?

-It's in the other direction.

-Exactly.

He's a bigger liar than me. Let's see what he's up to.

-Oh, mystery!

-Eccitante!

CHURCH BELL RINGS

-He's waiting for someone.

-What's that in his hand?

-It's my notebook!

-I told you, he's a thief!

Maybe he has an explanation.

Tomaso, what are you doing with my notebook?

Oh, is it yours?

I must have taken it by mistake.

I was just borrowing it. I was going to give it back.

Ah!

DRAMATIC MUSIC

Scusi!

Scusi!

Aargh!

Oy!

Aargh!

DOG BARKS

Aargh!

HORSE CANTERS AWAY

HE COUGHS

-You all right?

-I'm fine.

-The notebook?

-Gone.

You're in big trouble, boy. I'll report you to my father,

His Excellency Piero De' Medici.

He knows the magistrate personally.

You'll be thrown into prison for the thief you are.

Do it, then. What does it matter?

-I didn't have a choice.

-Yeah, right!

-What do you mean?

The man on the horse abducted me.

-What?

-Don't listen to him.

-He took me into the catacombs,

to this sort of chamber with weird men chanting,

like some kind of secret society.

-And the letter?

-A fake. They gave it to me.

Look, believe what you like. It's the truth.

I didn't want to do it.

-Could be true.

-I can't believe it!

-Wait. This place

-they took you, could you find it again?

-Don't mess with them.

They've got my notebook. All my work, designs, calcul...

I can't lose it. I can't.

SHRIEKING

What was that?

I'm sorry.

-I'm really sorry.

-Bit late for that.

Well, which way?

-I don't know.

-Or don't want to tell us.

-I don't know!

-You're already a liar and a thief.

-Why should we believe you?

-Precisely.

-It's not my fault.

-I just want to be an artist.

-So you lie and cheat your way in?

-It's not that simple.

-It is. It's all about talent.

-And integrity.

-Yeah, right, if you're a boy.

Sorry?

Of course! How did I miss it? I should be ashamed of myself.

-What?

-The portrait he did wasn't his sister.

-It was a self-portrait.

-What?

-A self-portrait? How ridiculous.

Of course it was my sister.

-A girl can't paint for a living. That's fair how?

-It's not.

My mum and dad say it's an impossible dream.

A fantasy. They even arranged a marriage to make me see sense.

-Who to?

-I didn't stick around to find out.

Are you going to report me?

Come here.

We can't trust her. Once a thief, always a thief.

-That's harsh.

-Verrocchio could be closed down.

-He's right.

-And it's ridiculous, a girl artist!

-Why, if she has talent?

It just is. She should put her talent to more suitable use.

-Embroidery.

-Rigid conformity!

-Very funny.

-What do you think, Mac?

-Things will be more interesting with her in the picture.

-Yeah.

-Lorenzo?

-All right, but I think you're both mad.

What's your name - your real name?

-Lisa.

-Lisa.

You're in.

We'll keep your secret.

Oh, grazie, grazie!

You're officially now one of the boys.

Right, now can I have a go on the velocerotor?

-Can't you think of a better name?

-That's what I told him.

-Bi-cycle.

-Bicycle, that's not bad.

-Bicycle.

-Hey, Lorenzo!

-Watch out where you're going with my bi...

-Aargh!

THEY LAUGH

Is he all right?

Shut up!

KNOCK ON DOOR

Entry.

What is it, Lorenzo?

This may sound strange, Papa.

Intriguing. You have my full attention.

I don't suppose you've heard of any secret, sinister societies

down in the catacombs?

Men in hoods, chanting,

that kind of thing?

What makes you ask?

Just some rumour I heard.

Some backward peasant disseminating superstitious nonsense.

-It's hardly likely, is it?

-No.

No. But, then again, this is Florence.

Anything is possible.

CLICK

HINGES CREAK

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail [email protected]