Figaros Hochzeit (1949)

Figaro measures the room in the castle where he intends to live with his bride Susanna after their wedding, so he can arrange the furniture. Figaro thinks it is an advantage that the room is next to the Count’s apartments. Susanna explains that Count Almaviva may have designs of his own on her, and that this is precisely why he assigned the room to the couple. Figaro intends to thwart the aristocratic seducer’s plans. Dr. Bartolo has been hired by the housekeeper Marcellina to bring a claim against Figaro, who previously promised to marry her in order to settle a debt. Cherubino asks Susanna to intercede with the Count on his behalf because he does not want to leave the castle. When the Count and Basilio appear, Cherubino hides, and Susanna pretends to faint; in the confusion, Cherubino hides under a dress. The Count, whom Susanna has so far spurned, discovers him, and Cherubino is spared punishment by the jealous lord of the castle only when the country folk arrive. The Count forces Cherubino to set off for the army, and Figaro, who is jealous of him too, sends him off with some good advice. Susanna puts Cherubino in women’s clothes and dresses his hair so that he can wait for the wedding in disguise. Cherubino flees from the Count into the adjoining room, which the Count also wants to enter after hearing someone inside. The Countess says it is only Susanna, and the Count locks all the doors so he can reach the adjoining room with the Countess by another route. Susanna helps Cherubino escape through the window, then enters the room he fled from. The Count thinks Cherubino has hidden there, but to his astonishment finds only Susanna. Meanwhile, Figaro, fearing the Count’s advances, tries to stop him from appearing at the wedding by sending him an anonymous letter, but when the Countess questions him, he admits that he wrote it. When the gardener Antonio brings a letter that he says was dropped by a man fleeing the scene, Figaro claims he had been with Susanna. The document turns out to be Cherubino’s appointment as an officer, and Figaro gets out of a tight spot by presenting it to the Count so he can add the seal that is still missing. Marcellina brings her claim against Figaro. The wedding is postponed so the Count can investigate the allegation. Confused by the events so far, the Count agrees, at the Countess’s request, to meet her in the garden. Beforehand, however, she exchanges clothes with Susanna. Susanna whispers to Figaro that he has won his legal case. The Count is annoyed. It emerges that Figaro is the illegitimate son of Marcellina and Bartolo, so he cannot marry the housekeeper after all. The Countess is left alone, and the girl arrives to report that everything is going well. The Countess dictates a love letter for Susanna to send. The Count is to return the pin holding the letter together to confirm that he has received it. The Count spots his former page, flies into a rage, but is calmed by Susanna’s letter. Following the letter’s instructions, the Count has sent Barbarina with the pin, but she has lost it. Figaro learns what it means from Barbarina. Out of jealousy, he persuades Bartolo and Marcellina to come to the garden too, so they can witness the conversation between the Count and Susanna. Marcellina tells Susanna about this plan. The Countess appears in Susanna’s clothes; Cherubino tries to kiss the woman he thinks is Susanna, but the Count holds him back. He swings his hand at Cherubino, but somehow hits the ever-present Figaro instead. The Count pursues the woman he thinks is Susanna, who deftly eludes him, just as the real Susanna appears wearing the Countess’s clothes. Figaro tells her of the Count’s intentions and recognizes his bride. He plays along with the charade, paying her the honors due to a Countess, and gets another slap on the ear. The two make peace, and he continues playing his part. When the Count appears, Figaro declares his love for her. The Count calls for weapons and his men. A general recognition of who everyone is dispels the Count’s confusion; he offers an apology, and the Countess forgives him.