Emilia Galotti (1958)

At a ball, Prince Hettore Gonzaga of Guastalla, long weary of his mistress, Countess Orsina, sees the young Emilia Galotti, daughter of Colonel Odoardo Galotti, for the first time. He desires her from the moment he sees her, but can speak with her only briefly at the ball, as Countess Orsina has announced her arrival. A short time later, he sees her portrait at the painter Conti’s and buys it from him. He repeatedly gazes at the portrait in private and finally decides to take action. Just then, his chamberlain Marinelli tells him that Count Appiani intends to marry the next day in a very small, private ceremony. Emilia Galotti is to be the bride. Hettore Gonzaga orders Marinelli to prevent the wedding by any means necessary. At first, at the prince’s behest, Marinelli tries to send the count out of the country on an errand, but the count refuses, citing his wedding. The next morning, Hettore Gonzaga secretly seeks out Emilia Galotti in church and harasses her. Emilia returns to her mother Claudia, horrified, and tells her what happened. They both decide not to tell her father about the prince’s behavior. Count Appiani, too, arrives at the Galottis’ home, bewildered, and tells Claudia about Marinelli’s offer. Marinelli advises his master to go to his pleasure palace. On the wedding day, Marinelli has robbers attack the bridal carriage near the prince’s pleasure palace. As Emilia Galotti flees the carriage in a panic and is taken by one of the prince’s servants to his pleasure palace, the robbers shoot Count Appiani dead. A messenger rides off to inform Odoardo of the attack, while Claudia sets out with her retinue for the count’s castle. There, Emilia reacts with disbelief and horror when she realizes whose castle she is in. The prince escorts her to the upper rooms, but Claudia soon manages to gain entry noisily. Countess Orsina, who also arrives a short time later, is turned away by Marinelli and promptly ushered out by Hettore Gonzaga. Outside, the rejected Orsina meets Odoardo, who has just arrived. Among other things, she tells him that Appiani is dead and that the prince spoke privately with Emilia in church that morning. She gives him her dagger, which he hides in his clothes. Claudia, who has hurried there, confirms Orsina’s words and leaves to arrange a carriage for the family’s departure. Odoardo insists that Hettore Gonzaga allow him to speak with his daughter, whom the prince intends to lodge with a dissolute married couple who are friends of his. At Emilia’s request, Odoardo stabs his daughter to death to save her from the shame of being seduced by the prince. Hettore Gonzaga now curses Marinelli, who had presented himself as a friend but was in reality a devil.