The Borgia Apocalypse: The Screenplay
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MICHELETTO
My Lord –
A servant emerges.
MICHELETTO (CONT’D)
Find Cesare Borgia – now –
INT. DINING ROOM. NIGHT.
The Pope, with Catherina kneeling before him. She raises her glistening lips from his ring.
CATHERINA
This is me, having kissed...
ALEXANDER
The papal ring? Is that all those lips would grace?
CATHERINA
You are a seducer of legend, Holiness. But...
ALEXANDER
No more than you –
EXT. CORRIDOR. NIGHT.
Micheletto reaches Cesare.
MICHELETTO
Where are they My Lord – there was a poisoned salve – a lip-balm –
INT. DINING ROOM. NIGHT.
Catherina rises, brings her lips close to the pope’s.
CATHERINA
They have tasted Borgia lips before. But the son’s. Not the father’s.
ALEXANDER
Youth before age.
CATHERINA
But if the son’s vigour is anything to go by, the father should be –
And the doors crash open behind them. Catherina looks round, in confusion.
Cesare is there.
CESARE
Father – GET OUT – NOW –
INT. CORRIDOR. NIGHT.
The anguished howl of Catherina Sforza echoes through the Vatican. Micheletto listens.
INT. DINING ROOM. NIGHT.
Catherina Sforza is on the floor, straddled by Cesare Borgia. He is cutting off her lips.
CESARE
Those poisoned lips, father – were designed to kill you both-
As he continues with his gruesome task.
CESARE (CONT’D)
But, my love, I have determined you shall live. Lipless you shall live.
INT. STAIRS. RUFIO’S QUARTERS. NIGHT.
Micheletto, with three or four henchmen, thunder up the stairs.
INT. ROOMS. RUFIO’S QUARTERS. NIGHT.
Rufio, serving himself a bowl of gruel. He hears the thundering of feet outside.
He dashes to the windows, as the doors crash in. Climbs onto a balcony, outside.
EXT. MICHELETTO’S QUARTERS. NIGHT.
Rufio leaps through the air and lands on the pavement. Then he finds four swords drawn, jammed into his gullet.
He looks into the eyes of Cesare Borgia.
CESARE
So. I was the future, was I not?
RUFIO
You are still, my Lord.
CESARE
A harsh future.
They lead him off.
INT. CESARE’S QUARTERS. DAY.
Cesare, facing Rufio. Micheletto sits watching. The young Adriana is brought in before them.
CESARE
You can speak freely. I guarantee you will come to no harm.
ADRIANA
The lady Sforza sent me to his rooms. She gave me a note for him. I know not what it said.
CESARE
It doesn’t matter what it said. What did he give you?
ADRIANA
He told me to return in the morning. He gave me a bottle of salve.
CESARE
Salve?
ADRIANA
I was told it was salve. For her lips.
MICHELETTO
You said a bottle. Was it this bottle?
He holds up the bottle. Adriana nods, nervously. Cesare smiles at her.
CESARE
You can leave us now.
And she does. Cesare looks from Micheletto to Rufio.
RUFIO
Kill me now.
CESARE
Not now.
RUFIO
Oh. The tedious business of the lash. The strappado. It just takes time, my Lord. Much simpler to kill me now.
CESARE
Why did you do it?
RUFIO
I was sworn to you, my Lord. Never to your father. And my mistress would have died the way she lived. I could not deny her that opportunity.
CESARE
The pity is, I had thought you were cleverer than that.
RUFIO
We all have our weaknesses. She was, and always will be, mine.
CESARE
So. You shall die in her presence then.
RUFIO
How?
MICHELETTO
Can I make a proposal, my Lord?
CESARE
Be my guest.
MICHELETTO
He is a legend. His reputation matches mine. Let us kill the legend, before he dies.
CESARE
And how do we do that?
MICHELETTO
Single combat. Between me and him. In the Castel St Angelo. Before his mistresses eyes...
Micheletto looks to Cesare.
MICHELETTO (CONT’D)
She still has eyes, no?
EXT. GATES OF ROME/ST PETER’S. DAY.
The French King enters, in magnificent ceremony, through the gates. Trumpets sound, as the retinue passes through. And among his retinue is a cowled figure, dressed in seemingly Franciscan garb...
INT. VATICAN PALACE. DAY.
The French King, with his retinue, before the Pope of Rome with his, his son Cesare amongst them.
KING LOUIS
So your family’s ties with Naples have been severed.
ALEXANDER
Sadly. Our daughter’s husband turned out the worst of his Neapolitan kind. A drunkard, an ingratiate, a tavern brawler.
KING LOUIS
And you, your Holiness, have no
more allegiance to that treacherous kingdom?
Alexander looks to Cesare, who replies for him.
CESARE
Our hearts have long been set on the French alliance.
KING LOUIS
So you will at last support our legitimate claims on Naples?
ALEXANDER
You must tell us then, what Naples is faced with?
KING LOUIS
Surrender to us freely. Or suffer a conquest. The choice is theirs.
ALEXANDER
Which is why, we presume, you brought an army with you?
KING LOUIS
To bolster the forces we have already loaned your son. Yes.
ALEXANDER
Spain makes a similar claim to the
Kingdom of Naples.
KING LOUIS
But Spain has no army in Rome. That we are aware of.
ALEXANDER
Who knows what armies are on their way here, Your Highness? One invading force disturbs the sleep of Italy. Two might give her nightmares...
KING LOUIS
We are aware of Your Holiness’ ties to his ancestral homeland...
ALEXANDER
So, you will appreciate our concern here. To maintain some balance...
He holds out both hands, like weighting scales.
ALEXANDER (CONT’D)
Between the conflicting claims on Naples...
KING LOUIS
And we suspect His Holiness may in his infinite wisdom provide a solution.
He bows, graciously.
ALEXANDER
Indeed. One has already been mooted, with your departing ambassador.
KING LOUIS
Yes, we have been so informed.
ALEXANDER
French arms are free to invade
Naples if, and only if –
KING LOUIS
They hold it in His Holiness’ name. And they share the spoils of conquest with the Holy See and her Catholic Majesties, Ferdinand and Isabella.
ALEXANDER
And?
KING LOUIS
We respectfully agree. In principle. And we shall leave any issues of discord to be resolved by our new ambassador to the Holy See.
ALEXANDER
You have appointed a new ambassador? Already?
KING LOUIS
Forgive me
Holiness. Let me now introduce him.
He claps his hands. And a cowled figure from the French contingent steps forward.
KING LOUIS (CONT’D)
The new French ambassador to the Holy See.
The cowled figure steps forwards.
The cowled figure kneels before the Pope. And slips the cowl from his head.
KING LOUIS (CONT’D)
Cardinal Giuliano Della Rovere.
The Pope stares at the unblinking eyes of Della Rovere. And he finally manages to mutter.
ALEXANDER
Cardinal.
DELLA ROVERE
Holiness.
And the Pope looks left, at the sound of a sword being drawn.
ALEXANDER
Cesare –
Cesare stops his sword-hand. The French King smiles, diplomatically.
KING LOUIS
The ambassador will reside here under our protection, under full diplomatic immunity.
And the pope stretches forward his hand, with the ring to be kissed.
ALEXANDER
You may kiss the ring of St
Peter...
DELLA ROVERE
Once more. Gladly. And, humbly...
INT. VESTIBULE. DAY.
The vestier tries to remove the Pope’s clothes. Cesare interrupts him.
CESARE
Leave us –
And he begins to remove the Pope’s ceremonial garments.
CESARE (CONT’D)
Do you think he knows? Of your plan of succession?
The Pope, staring at himself in the mirror, shakes his head.
ALEXANDER
Not unless you have shared it –
CESARE
Never.
ALEXANDER
No. But he is clever, as always. He knows every Pope’s days are numbered. Comes back to his old haunt under full public view. Has no scruples. Knows he is untouchable. With his coffers no doubt funded to buy sufficient votes.
The Pope smiles at his reflection.
ALEXANDER (CONT’D)
On reflection, he would make an excellent Pope.
CESARE
And how do we outplay him, father?
ALEXANDER
We do what we have always done, my son. We survive.
EXT. ST PETER’S. DAY.
As Della Rovere descends the steps, surrounded by French soldiers, he comes face to face with Cesare, and a band of his forces.
CESARE
Cardinal.
DELLA ROVERE
My Lord. I would remind you I am under French protection.
CESARE
These men are French. So, consider yourself under my protection too.
DELLA ROVERE
Double the protection. I am most re- assured.
CESARE
May I walk with you?
DELLA ROVERE
To my palace? Indeed.
CESARE
You have a palace already?
DELLA ROVERE
Since my own has long been requisitioned, yes, I found myself in need of one.
As they walk, Cesare whispers.
CESARE
I should have killed you a year ago.
DELLA ROVERE
Yes. You should have. But your words were, if I recall... “I do not intend you to be dead. For a very long time”.
CESARE
So we must breathe each other’s air now?
DELLA ROVERE
Yes. It will be most... invigorating. And if I am found poisoned, garrotted, stabbed, beheaded, there will be consequences. Of a geo-political nature.
CESARE
So your health is secured, then.
DELLA ROVERE
I have always enjoyed good health, thanks be to God.
CESARE
And long may it continue.
DELLA ROVERE
But as I told you then, when you threatened me with a most painful future, you should consider your own.
CESARE
My health?
DELLA ROVERE
And your future. Your father, even with the blessing of the Most High, cannot live forever.
CESARE
I think my future is secure.
DELLA ROVERE
With your armies? They are the gift of France. And of the church itself. With your allies? Allies can bend with the prevailing wind. As we both so well know.
CESARE
So I should parlay with the one who would succeed my father?
DELLA ROVERE
If your future is to be truly secure.
CESARE
I am a warrior, cardinal. I live and breathe the air of battle. I need it for a tonic, an elixir. I need it, dare I say it, to keep alive. And I have no doubt it will kill me some day.
DELLA ROVERE
So you will enjoy the siege of Naples, then?
CESARE
If it doesn’t last forever...
INT. CASTEL ST ANGELO. DAY.
The cavernous central vault of the Castel St Angelo.
Rufio sits in a cell with Catherina Sforza, who looks like a death’s head now, teeth exposed, with her lips missing.
A jangle of chains and a series of doors open, off.
Rufio smiles at Catherina Sforza. And we see he has a razor- blade clenched, hidden between his teeth.
Micheletto enters the central vault, stripped to the waist. Cesare behind him, a phalanx of soldiers behind him.
Every prisoner behind bars now stands to attention.
MICHELETTO
Unchain him.
Guards run to unchain Rufio. And as he is unchained, the prisoners begin baying for blood.
Cesare raises his arms, and finds silence.
CESARE
The rules are simple.
He looks around as silence descends.
CESARE (CONT’D)
There are none.
CESARE (CONT’D)
One blade each.
Micheletto begins wrapping his left arm in a rag. Cesare throws a blade at his feet.
Another blade at the feet of Rufio.
CESARE (CONT’D)
And one winner.
The two blades, stuck in the sand. Rufio walks forwards and grips his.
And as Micheletto bends for his, Rufio rushes him. The crowd bays for blood.
Micheletto, gripping his blade, pivots on his left arm. He kicks the feet from under Rufio, sending him spinning into the sand.
Catherina gasps, through her exposed teeth. Rufio tumbles to the bars of an adjacent cage.
And as he turns to right himself, Micheletto is on him. His blade headed straight for his jugular.
Rufio feints, catches the blade on his forearm. He tumbles to release himself.
But the first blood is Micheletto’s.
And they now circle each other like cats. Blood is streaming from Rufio’s forearm.
One jab, then another. Neither hits home.
Micheletto bends low as he approaches, and surreptitiously sweeps a handful of dust from the floor.
He waits for Rufio to lunge, and when he ducks to avoid his knife, throws the dust in his eyes.
Rufio tumbles to the floor, momentarily blinded. And Micheletto comes in for the kill.
Rufio manages to swing sideways though, and blindly stabs at Micheletto’s torso.
His knife embeds itself to the hilt in Micheletto’s calf. But he loses grip of the hilt.
As he clears the dust from his eyes, he raises his head to see, appalled...
Micheletto. Standing. One knife sticking from his calf. The other in his sword-hand.
Micheletto grimaces, and pulls the knife from his calf with his left hand.
He now has two knives.
And Rufio is seemingly defenceless.
MICHELETTO
Too simple...
Blood is streaming from his calf, but he hardly seems to notice.
Micheletto circles Rufio, both knives aloft. He clucks at him, like a chicken.
But Micheletto plays him like a cat. Draws stripes of blood across his chest.
And finally goes for it. Leaps upon him, both knives aloft. Rufio grips his descending wrists. Stops the knives. But falls backwards towards the ground, with the effort.
And both knives are now bearing down towards his throat. He twists his body beneath Micheletto.
And the situation is now reversed. Micheletto, both knives pointing upwards, as Rufio presses his wrists downwards.
Micheletto’s arms shake with the effort. Every muscle bulges.
And Rufio finally bears the blade, hidden between his teeth.
He slashes downwards with it at Micheletto’s neck.
Micheletto gasps. Blood spouts from the wound in his neck. Into Rufio’s eyes.
Who is momentarily, once more, blinded. And Micheletto frees his wrists.
Brings both knives slamming, fatally, into Rufio’s neck. The crowd bays its approval.
Rufio staggers to his feet. Two knife-hilts jutting from his neck, on either side.
Micheletto staggers also to his feet. His hand holds the wound on his neck, staunching the blood.
And Rufio falls to his knees. Then, backwards, his face to the cavernous ceiling. He dies, with the blade still clenched between his teeth.
Micheletto bends down towards him. He removes the blade from his teeth.
MICHELETTO (CONT’D)
Clever.
Cesare walks towards him.
CESARE
So one legend dies.
He wraps gauze around his neck wound.
CESARE (CONT’D)
Another lives.
INT. CESARE’S QUARTERS. NIGHT.
Micheletto on some kind of trestle table. Cesare attends his wounds, cleaning them and binding them.
CESARE
I would attend your wounds myself, my friend.
MICHELETTO
Thank you.