Bella Mafia
Encyclopedia
Bella Mafia is a 1997 American television film starring Vanessa Redgrave
and Dennis Farina
. Redgrave was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film.
It is based on the book "Bella Mafia" written in 1991 by English author Lynda La Plante
.
" Don Roberto Luciano turns informer for the biggest Mafia trial in history, but his family pays a terrible price. The head of the family, his three sons, his two grandsons and his nephew are all killed leaving the five widows to reclaim their inheritance from a dangerous Mafioso."
) and his wife Graziella (Vanessa Redgrave
) live comfortably at Villa Rosa in Palermo, Italy. Their son Michael (Michael Hayden
) has an affair with Sophia (Nastassja Kinski
), leaving her pregnant but unmarried. After Luciano refuses to traffic drugs, angry U.S. mob boss Carolla (Tony Lo Bianco
) retaliates by having Michael killed. While at a convent, Sophia's given a hard blow when another pregnant woman tells her of his death, she almost immediately gives birth to Luka, Michael's son. Living at the convent, but determined to keep her son, she goes alone by herself to confront the Luciano family for money to support her son. However, the Luciano's are still cooping with Michael's death and refuse admission to anyone (unless its family or those that work for them) through the gates. Despite the guard's insistence, Sophia still continues to try to seek an audience with them. Only to be violently handled by the guards and almost thrown on the road. It is during this time that one of Michael's brothers, Constantino. Taking pity on her, he lets her in and he and his mother Graziella, nurse the tired Sophia.
Over her time there, she and Constantino fall in love. However, none of the Lucianos, including Constantino, know of her being Michael's former lover or of her son's existence. Roberto (Farina), sees Constantino's affections for Sophia and makes it clear to his wife that he doesn't approve of her, mostly due to being poor and considered lower class. However, Graziella eventually gets her husband to understand Sophia and accept her. While the engagement is good news, Sophia would secretly learn something devastating. Because she spent so long at the Lucianos and took too long of time to contact the convent, the nuns had to treat her son as an orphan and gave him up for adoption. Sophia still keeps this a secret, she eventually recovers and marries Constantino. Its during the course of the story, that it begins to show some of the other brothers, Alfredo (Tony Maggio) the one who constantly hopes to please their father and Fredrico (W. Earl Brown
), who is something of a troublemaker and doesn't like being told what to do. During the wedding, Teresa Scorpio (Illeana Douglas
), daughter of Mrs. Scorpio, owner of a highly successful business in New York, is chosen by Grizella for Fredrico to marry. But Fredrico is openly opposed to it.
Despite, his objections, he and Alfredo are sent to New York to meet with her. During which Fredrico happily sees Moyra (Jennifer Tilly
), the former girlfriend of an American casino owner, Nicky Diamond. After still remembering his one-time with Moyra, Fredrico blows off his "date" with Teresa. Alfredo, reluctantly goes in Fredrico's place. Both men fall in love with the women, during their dates. Alfredo and Teresa marry, and stay in America to run her family business. During the wedding, its clear that Sophia's feeling unhappy in her marriage, though mostly because everyone, including Grizella, is pressuring the couple into having children.
While the couple have been trying, they've had no luck with conceiving. Fredrico makes a surprise appearance at the wedding with Moyra (who is wearing a heavy coat); this clearly appalls Roberto, seeing her as a tramp. At the wedding reception, Roberto pulls his son aside and angrily demands he kick Moyra out and meet a nice girl that Grizella has picked and that this time he won't refuse. However, both he and Moyra argue loudly about leaving. Sophia comes to the couple, attempting to quiet down the argument. But Moyra's had enough of keeping quiet and loudly announces that she and Fredrico are married(most likely elopement) and is pregnant with his son. Tired of being treated badly, she therefore announces she won't have the baby without the Luciano family support it. However, this triggers Moyra to go into labor.
But she loses the baby (most likely due to either her smoking and drinking or the premature birth), as she tells Sophia in her hospital room "I had a son, perfect in every way, he just wasn't breathing". She cries to Sophia out of worry that Fredrico will divorce her because she lost the baby. After directing Fredrico to Moyra's room, she and Constantino have a small disagreement because his family clearly disapprove of Moyra. But coming from lower class like Moyra, Sophia stands up for her but during this she breaks down. She sobs due to her inability to conceive and also, secretly still missing her son. During that same night, she attempts to ask one of the nuns where her son is.
Sophia, once again faces more heart-breaking news, that her son and his adopted parents were apparently killed. Again, unknown to all, still believing she's depressed over her inability to conceive, Roberto decides to cheer up his daughter-in-law by giving her money to start her own boutique and fashion. Its eventually over the years, Teresa and Alfredo have a daughter named Rosa (Gina Philips
), Moyra's accepted into the family, and Sophia's boutiques have become very popular. She and Constantino also gain wonderful news, she's pregnant. She soon gives birth to twin sons, named Roberto and Nunico.
Elsewhere, Sophia's son called Luka(James Marsden
), is revealed to be alive. But he's a violent child (hinting he's been heavily abused) and is almost feral with the monks who tend to him. He eventually befriends a sickly young man named Giorgio (Christopher Shaw
), the son of Pietro Carolla. Over the years, he and Luka develop a brotherly friendship. However, Luka's violence and personality hasn't changed that much, much to Giorgio's dismay. He soon dies, but makes his father promise to look out for Luka. To appease his son's dying wish, Pietro adopts Luka, not knowing of Luka's sociopath like personality.
Not too long after, the Lucianos are finally able to have Pietro arrested and face trial for Michael Luciano's murder. Rosa is also expected to marry a young man, close to Roberto's family. Believing their family is finally getting closure, all of the Luciano men (including Rosa's fiance) go out for dinner to celebrate. Meanwhile, back at the Villa, the women are helping Rosa prepare her wedding dress. Unknown to all, the sadistic Luka, along with Carolla's men, decide to get their own revenge. While Carolla's allies have the men's wine poisoned, making it seemingly appear like they had heart-attacks. Luka, sneaks onto the Villa and cruelly and quietly, shots Sophia's sons while they were in bed; not knowing he's murdering his own family.
The women are struck with grief and mostly anger for what's happened and vow revenge. But it won't be an easy road, as apparently they lose all their money (mostly through Carolla's men interference) and Mario Domino (Franco Nero
) commits suicide, from threats of Carolla's men. Luka goes to his father, proudly admitting he killed Sophia's sons to please him, but Pietro is greatly disgusted by Luka's sadistic side and curses him. The next day, during Pietro's trial, the women plan to get their revenge and shoot him in court. But Luka, under a heavy disguise shots Pietro and escapes the courthouse. He is accidentally hit by the Luciano women's car during his escape, they tend to his wounds and befriend him, unknown to his connections to Carolla or for that matter his true connection to Sophia.
Luka tells them he's an American alias. Over time he charms all the women and eventually gains Rosa's affections, but he still tries to seduce all the women, including Grizella and Sophia; not knowing of his genetic relations to them. During his stay, he gets back at some of Carolla's men by murdering one of the hitmen and placing him in their car. To gain some money back, Luka, Teresa, Grizella, Rosa, and Moyra go to Vegas to get money from her ex-boyfriend Nicky Diamond. He and Moyra struggle, but Luka aggressively gets Nicky to tell them the combination to the lock of the safe. Moyra leaves with the money, not knowing that Luka has killed Nicky, and the women find that Grizella has oddly enough won a big lottery.
Meanwhile, back in New York, Sophia befriends an apparent American mafia man named Vito Giancamo(Peter Bogdanovich
) and his son Michael (who is around Rosa's age). While Michael is interested in Sophia, Sophia politely declines Vito's offer and instead offers Rosa as his fiancée. Through Sophia's persuasion, Vito agrees and Michael(David O'Donnell
) is soon arranged to be engaged to Rosa. Not long after getting that settled, the police come to her and reveal Luka's true identity and that he's murdered several people, including the American whose name he used. Realizing he's responsible for the men's death, she goes to Carolla's mansion and prepares a poisoned meal for him.
When Luka arrives with the women, she informs them of his identity and they all help her serve him the poisoned food and wine. As he becomes weak, the women immediately bind him to his chair and confront him. When he shows no remorse for the deeds, including killing the children. The women all leave the room and wait for the poison to kill him. Rosa, still apparently having feelings for him, tries to show him mercy or pity. But Luka, is ungrateful and spits in her face, leaving her heartbroken to see his true colors.
Sophia, deciding to face him stays by his side as he still dies. After a somewhat disturbing moment between them, she eventually stabs Luka out of rage. But after she does, she sees the necklace she had once left with her son. Before Luka dies, she begs him to demand where he got it from, with his dying breath, he says his mother did. Sophia is shattered to discover that Luka is her son, and that she has murdered him. Afterwards, the women burn his body and her clothes, in Carolla's backyard. Still not knowing that Luka was her son, but knowing that Sophia was the one with his blood on her hands. Grizella makes her the new head of the family. The scene then goes to show Rosa and Michael's wedding, with the women celebrating with many guests, including Carolla's allies.
As Sophia and Teresa, watch the young couple, its revealed the women plan to finish out their revenge on Carolla's allies who helped murder their husbands. But the Giancamo family will remain in the dark about it. Moyra eventually comes to Sophia, with the poisoned wine glass for Victor Muzetti (Michael Kagen) one of Carolla's men. Its hinted that Moyra may remarry to Vito Giancamo, since he's a widower. Mostly through Sophia's encouragement that he'll take care of her. As Sophia watches Muzetti leave (almost immediately suffering from the poison, appearing like a heart-attack), she goes to a table. Nostalgically looking at Michael's picture, she soon opens it and its revealed to have another photo behind it. The photo has all of Carolla's men, crossing Muzetti's face first.
The movie ends with her staring into camera with her eyes, eyes the men call the "devil's eyes".
Casting Society of America
Motion Picture Sound Editors
Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave, CBE is an English actress of stage, screen and television, as well as a political activist.She rose to prominence in 1961 playing Rosalind in As You Like It with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has since made more than 35 appearances on London's West End and Broadway, winning...
and Dennis Farina
Dennis Farina
Dennis Farina is an American actor of film and television and former Chicago police officer. He is a character actor, often typecast as a mobster or police officer. His most known film roles are those of mobster Jimmy Serrano in the comedy Midnight Run and Ray "Bones" Barboni in Get Shorty...
. Redgrave was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film.
It is based on the book "Bella Mafia" written in 1991 by English author Lynda La Plante
Lynda La Plante
Lynda La Plante, CBE is an English author, screenwriter and former actress, best known for writing the Prime Suspect television crime series....
.
" Don Roberto Luciano turns informer for the biggest Mafia trial in history, but his family pays a terrible price. The head of the family, his three sons, his two grandsons and his nephew are all killed leaving the five widows to reclaim their inheritance from a dangerous Mafioso."
Cast
- Vanessa RedgraveVanessa RedgraveVanessa Redgrave, CBE is an English actress of stage, screen and television, as well as a political activist.She rose to prominence in 1961 playing Rosalind in As You Like It with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has since made more than 35 appearances on London's West End and Broadway, winning...
as Graziella Luciano - Dennis FarinaDennis FarinaDennis Farina is an American actor of film and television and former Chicago police officer. He is a character actor, often typecast as a mobster or police officer. His most known film roles are those of mobster Jimmy Serrano in the comedy Midnight Run and Ray "Bones" Barboni in Get Shorty...
as Don Roberto Luciano - Nastassja KinskiNastassja KinskiNastassja Kinski is a German-born American-based actress who has appeared in more than 60 films. Her starring roles include her Golden Globe Award-winning portrayal of the title character in Tess and her roles in two erotic films , as well as parts in Wim Wenders' films The Wrong Move; Paris,...
as Sophia Luciano - Jennifer TillyJennifer TillyJennifer Tilly is an American actress and poker player. She is an Academy Award nominee, and a World Series of Poker Ladies' Event bracelet winner. She is the older sister of actress Meg Tilly.-Early life:...
as Moyra Luciano - Illeana DouglasIlleana DouglasIlleana Douglas is an American actress, director, screenwriter, and producer.-Background:Douglas is a granddaughter of the actor Melvyn Douglas and his first wife, artist Rosalind Hightower, and has said that her grandfather's performance in Being There, in particular, was influential on her own...
as Teresa Scorpio Luciano - James MarsdenJames MarsdenJames Paul Marsden is an American actor, singer and former Versace model. He is known for playing the superhero Cyclops in the first three X-Men films and for his roles in other commercially successful films such as Hop, Superman Returns, Hairspray, Enchanted, The Box, and 27 Dresses.-Early life...
as Luka - Gina PhilipsGina PhilipsGina Philips is an American actress.Philips was born Gina Consolo in Miami Beach, Florida. She is known for her recurring roles on David E. Kelley's Ally McBeal as Sandy Hingle and Boston Public as Jenna Miller...
as Rosa Luciano - Richard PortnowRichard PortnowRichard Portnow is an American actor known for such films and television shows as Barton Fink, Se7en, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, The Spirit, Law Abiding Citizen, Private Parts, Fallen Arches, Double Down, Spring Break '83, The Sopranos, Hannah Montana and Boston Legal.-Life and career:A...
as Anthony Moreno - Franco NeroFranco NeroFranco Nero is an Italian actor.-Early life:Nero was born Francesco Sparanero in San Prospero Parmense , the son of a sergeant in the...
as Mario Domino - Peter BogdanovichPeter BogdanovichPeter Bogdanovich is an American film historian, director, writer, actor, producer, and critic. He was part of the wave of "New Hollywood" directors, which included William Friedkin, Brian De Palma, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Michael Cimino, and Francis Ford Coppola...
as Vito Giancamo
Plot
Lynda La Plante (Prime Suspect) scripted this TV miniseries about the family life surrounding a Mafia don. Sicilian magnate Don Luciano (Dennis FarinaDennis Farina
Dennis Farina is an American actor of film and television and former Chicago police officer. He is a character actor, often typecast as a mobster or police officer. His most known film roles are those of mobster Jimmy Serrano in the comedy Midnight Run and Ray "Bones" Barboni in Get Shorty...
) and his wife Graziella (Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave, CBE is an English actress of stage, screen and television, as well as a political activist.She rose to prominence in 1961 playing Rosalind in As You Like It with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has since made more than 35 appearances on London's West End and Broadway, winning...
) live comfortably at Villa Rosa in Palermo, Italy. Their son Michael (Michael Hayden
Michael Hayden
Michael Vincent Hayden, is a retired United States Air Force four-star general and former Director of the National Security Agency and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency...
) has an affair with Sophia (Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Kinski is a German-born American-based actress who has appeared in more than 60 films. Her starring roles include her Golden Globe Award-winning portrayal of the title character in Tess and her roles in two erotic films , as well as parts in Wim Wenders' films The Wrong Move; Paris,...
), leaving her pregnant but unmarried. After Luciano refuses to traffic drugs, angry U.S. mob boss Carolla (Tony Lo Bianco
Tony Lo Bianco
Tony Lo Bianco is an American actor in films and television.Lo Bianco was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of a taxi driver. He is known for his roles in the cult films The Honeymoon Killers, God Told Me To, and The French Connection...
) retaliates by having Michael killed. While at a convent, Sophia's given a hard blow when another pregnant woman tells her of his death, she almost immediately gives birth to Luka, Michael's son. Living at the convent, but determined to keep her son, she goes alone by herself to confront the Luciano family for money to support her son. However, the Luciano's are still cooping with Michael's death and refuse admission to anyone (unless its family or those that work for them) through the gates. Despite the guard's insistence, Sophia still continues to try to seek an audience with them. Only to be violently handled by the guards and almost thrown on the road. It is during this time that one of Michael's brothers, Constantino. Taking pity on her, he lets her in and he and his mother Graziella, nurse the tired Sophia.
Over her time there, she and Constantino fall in love. However, none of the Lucianos, including Constantino, know of her being Michael's former lover or of her son's existence. Roberto (Farina), sees Constantino's affections for Sophia and makes it clear to his wife that he doesn't approve of her, mostly due to being poor and considered lower class. However, Graziella eventually gets her husband to understand Sophia and accept her. While the engagement is good news, Sophia would secretly learn something devastating. Because she spent so long at the Lucianos and took too long of time to contact the convent, the nuns had to treat her son as an orphan and gave him up for adoption. Sophia still keeps this a secret, she eventually recovers and marries Constantino. Its during the course of the story, that it begins to show some of the other brothers, Alfredo (Tony Maggio) the one who constantly hopes to please their father and Fredrico (W. Earl Brown
W. Earl Brown
W. Earl Brown is an American character actor who has appeared in many mainstream film and television projects. He is perhaps best known as Dan Dority on the HBO series Deadwood...
), who is something of a troublemaker and doesn't like being told what to do. During the wedding, Teresa Scorpio (Illeana Douglas
Illeana Douglas
Illeana Douglas is an American actress, director, screenwriter, and producer.-Background:Douglas is a granddaughter of the actor Melvyn Douglas and his first wife, artist Rosalind Hightower, and has said that her grandfather's performance in Being There, in particular, was influential on her own...
), daughter of Mrs. Scorpio, owner of a highly successful business in New York, is chosen by Grizella for Fredrico to marry. But Fredrico is openly opposed to it.
Despite, his objections, he and Alfredo are sent to New York to meet with her. During which Fredrico happily sees Moyra (Jennifer Tilly
Jennifer Tilly
Jennifer Tilly is an American actress and poker player. She is an Academy Award nominee, and a World Series of Poker Ladies' Event bracelet winner. She is the older sister of actress Meg Tilly.-Early life:...
), the former girlfriend of an American casino owner, Nicky Diamond. After still remembering his one-time with Moyra, Fredrico blows off his "date" with Teresa. Alfredo, reluctantly goes in Fredrico's place. Both men fall in love with the women, during their dates. Alfredo and Teresa marry, and stay in America to run her family business. During the wedding, its clear that Sophia's feeling unhappy in her marriage, though mostly because everyone, including Grizella, is pressuring the couple into having children.
While the couple have been trying, they've had no luck with conceiving. Fredrico makes a surprise appearance at the wedding with Moyra (who is wearing a heavy coat); this clearly appalls Roberto, seeing her as a tramp. At the wedding reception, Roberto pulls his son aside and angrily demands he kick Moyra out and meet a nice girl that Grizella has picked and that this time he won't refuse. However, both he and Moyra argue loudly about leaving. Sophia comes to the couple, attempting to quiet down the argument. But Moyra's had enough of keeping quiet and loudly announces that she and Fredrico are married(most likely elopement) and is pregnant with his son. Tired of being treated badly, she therefore announces she won't have the baby without the Luciano family support it. However, this triggers Moyra to go into labor.
But she loses the baby (most likely due to either her smoking and drinking or the premature birth), as she tells Sophia in her hospital room "I had a son, perfect in every way, he just wasn't breathing". She cries to Sophia out of worry that Fredrico will divorce her because she lost the baby. After directing Fredrico to Moyra's room, she and Constantino have a small disagreement because his family clearly disapprove of Moyra. But coming from lower class like Moyra, Sophia stands up for her but during this she breaks down. She sobs due to her inability to conceive and also, secretly still missing her son. During that same night, she attempts to ask one of the nuns where her son is.
Sophia, once again faces more heart-breaking news, that her son and his adopted parents were apparently killed. Again, unknown to all, still believing she's depressed over her inability to conceive, Roberto decides to cheer up his daughter-in-law by giving her money to start her own boutique and fashion. Its eventually over the years, Teresa and Alfredo have a daughter named Rosa (Gina Philips
Gina Philips
Gina Philips is an American actress.Philips was born Gina Consolo in Miami Beach, Florida. She is known for her recurring roles on David E. Kelley's Ally McBeal as Sandy Hingle and Boston Public as Jenna Miller...
), Moyra's accepted into the family, and Sophia's boutiques have become very popular. She and Constantino also gain wonderful news, she's pregnant. She soon gives birth to twin sons, named Roberto and Nunico.
Elsewhere, Sophia's son called Luka(James Marsden
James Marsden
James Paul Marsden is an American actor, singer and former Versace model. He is known for playing the superhero Cyclops in the first three X-Men films and for his roles in other commercially successful films such as Hop, Superman Returns, Hairspray, Enchanted, The Box, and 27 Dresses.-Early life...
), is revealed to be alive. But he's a violent child (hinting he's been heavily abused) and is almost feral with the monks who tend to him. He eventually befriends a sickly young man named Giorgio (Christopher Shaw
Christopher Shaw
Christopher Shaw is an English first-class cricketer, who played sixty one first-class games for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1984 and 1988...
), the son of Pietro Carolla. Over the years, he and Luka develop a brotherly friendship. However, Luka's violence and personality hasn't changed that much, much to Giorgio's dismay. He soon dies, but makes his father promise to look out for Luka. To appease his son's dying wish, Pietro adopts Luka, not knowing of Luka's sociopath like personality.
Not too long after, the Lucianos are finally able to have Pietro arrested and face trial for Michael Luciano's murder. Rosa is also expected to marry a young man, close to Roberto's family. Believing their family is finally getting closure, all of the Luciano men (including Rosa's fiance) go out for dinner to celebrate. Meanwhile, back at the Villa, the women are helping Rosa prepare her wedding dress. Unknown to all, the sadistic Luka, along with Carolla's men, decide to get their own revenge. While Carolla's allies have the men's wine poisoned, making it seemingly appear like they had heart-attacks. Luka, sneaks onto the Villa and cruelly and quietly, shots Sophia's sons while they were in bed; not knowing he's murdering his own family.
The women are struck with grief and mostly anger for what's happened and vow revenge. But it won't be an easy road, as apparently they lose all their money (mostly through Carolla's men interference) and Mario Domino (Franco Nero
Franco Nero
Franco Nero is an Italian actor.-Early life:Nero was born Francesco Sparanero in San Prospero Parmense , the son of a sergeant in the...
) commits suicide, from threats of Carolla's men. Luka goes to his father, proudly admitting he killed Sophia's sons to please him, but Pietro is greatly disgusted by Luka's sadistic side and curses him. The next day, during Pietro's trial, the women plan to get their revenge and shoot him in court. But Luka, under a heavy disguise shots Pietro and escapes the courthouse. He is accidentally hit by the Luciano women's car during his escape, they tend to his wounds and befriend him, unknown to his connections to Carolla or for that matter his true connection to Sophia.
Luka tells them he's an American alias. Over time he charms all the women and eventually gains Rosa's affections, but he still tries to seduce all the women, including Grizella and Sophia; not knowing of his genetic relations to them. During his stay, he gets back at some of Carolla's men by murdering one of the hitmen and placing him in their car. To gain some money back, Luka, Teresa, Grizella, Rosa, and Moyra go to Vegas to get money from her ex-boyfriend Nicky Diamond. He and Moyra struggle, but Luka aggressively gets Nicky to tell them the combination to the lock of the safe. Moyra leaves with the money, not knowing that Luka has killed Nicky, and the women find that Grizella has oddly enough won a big lottery.
Meanwhile, back in New York, Sophia befriends an apparent American mafia man named Vito Giancamo(Peter Bogdanovich
Peter Bogdanovich
Peter Bogdanovich is an American film historian, director, writer, actor, producer, and critic. He was part of the wave of "New Hollywood" directors, which included William Friedkin, Brian De Palma, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Michael Cimino, and Francis Ford Coppola...
) and his son Michael (who is around Rosa's age). While Michael is interested in Sophia, Sophia politely declines Vito's offer and instead offers Rosa as his fiancée. Through Sophia's persuasion, Vito agrees and Michael(David O'Donnell
David O'Donnell
David O'Donnell David O'Donnell David O'Donnell (born November 20, 1974 in North Reading, Ma. is an American actor. He studied acting at the famed Beverly Hills Playhouse.-Selected filmography:*A Christmas Proposal (2008) as Rick*Days of Our Lives as Mark (1 episode, 2008)...
) is soon arranged to be engaged to Rosa. Not long after getting that settled, the police come to her and reveal Luka's true identity and that he's murdered several people, including the American whose name he used. Realizing he's responsible for the men's death, she goes to Carolla's mansion and prepares a poisoned meal for him.
When Luka arrives with the women, she informs them of his identity and they all help her serve him the poisoned food and wine. As he becomes weak, the women immediately bind him to his chair and confront him. When he shows no remorse for the deeds, including killing the children. The women all leave the room and wait for the poison to kill him. Rosa, still apparently having feelings for him, tries to show him mercy or pity. But Luka, is ungrateful and spits in her face, leaving her heartbroken to see his true colors.
Sophia, deciding to face him stays by his side as he still dies. After a somewhat disturbing moment between them, she eventually stabs Luka out of rage. But after she does, she sees the necklace she had once left with her son. Before Luka dies, she begs him to demand where he got it from, with his dying breath, he says his mother did. Sophia is shattered to discover that Luka is her son, and that she has murdered him. Afterwards, the women burn his body and her clothes, in Carolla's backyard. Still not knowing that Luka was her son, but knowing that Sophia was the one with his blood on her hands. Grizella makes her the new head of the family. The scene then goes to show Rosa and Michael's wedding, with the women celebrating with many guests, including Carolla's allies.
As Sophia and Teresa, watch the young couple, its revealed the women plan to finish out their revenge on Carolla's allies who helped murder their husbands. But the Giancamo family will remain in the dark about it. Moyra eventually comes to Sophia, with the poisoned wine glass for Victor Muzetti (Michael Kagen) one of Carolla's men. Its hinted that Moyra may remarry to Vito Giancamo, since he's a widower. Mostly through Sophia's encouragement that he'll take care of her. As Sophia watches Muzetti leave (almost immediately suffering from the poison, appearing like a heart-attack), she goes to a table. Nostalgically looking at Michael's picture, she soon opens it and its revealed to have another photo behind it. The photo has all of Carolla's men, crossing Muzetti's face first.
The movie ends with her staring into camera with her eyes, eyes the men call the "devil's eyes".
Awards and nominations
Golden Globe AwardGolden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film - Vanessa RedgraveVanessa RedgraveVanessa Redgrave, CBE is an English actress of stage, screen and television, as well as a political activist.She rose to prominence in 1961 playing Rosalind in As You Like It with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has since made more than 35 appearances on London's West End and Broadway, winning...
(nomination)
Casting Society of America
Casting Society of America
Founded in Los Angeles, California in 1982, the Casting Society of America is a professional society of about 350 casting directors for film, television, and theatre in Australia, Canada, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States. The society is not to be confused with an industry union. The...
- Best Casting for TV Miniseries' - Gary M. Zuckerbrod (nomination)
Motion Picture Sound Editors
Motion Picture Sound Editors
Founded in 1953, Motion Picture Sound Editors is an honorary society of motion picture sound editors. The society's goals are to educate others about and increase the recognition of the sound editors, show the artistic merit of the soundtracks, and improve the professional relationship of its...
- Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing - Television Mini-Series - Dialogue & ADR (nomination)