Down the Ancient Stairs
1975 · 110 MIN · IMDB 6.7 · 434 VOTES · DIR. Mauro Bolognini
Overview
A mental hospital somewhere in Tuscany during the thirties. Far away from fascism, this closed world is rules over by Dr. Bonaccorsi, a passionate benevolent psychiatrist whose dream is to isolate the germ of madness. He is also a very active ladies'man and makes three women benefit from his sexual itch: Francesca the hospital manager's wife, Bianca, his devoted nurse and Carla, a nymphomaniac doctor's wife. His well-ordered universe starts being challenged with the coming of Anna, a trainee psychiatrist, who disapproves of his theory on the origin of madness. Worse, she resists his advances. As Bonaccorsi is more insecure than he looks, what will become of him?
Dialogue Timeline — 943 lines
A SAMPLE ACROSS THE RUNTIME — EVERY LINE IS SEARCHABLE
00:00:22 Carnival!
00:05:38 I'd love to, but I have to go now.
00:09:32 What are we waiting for? Why not just tell the truth?
00:15:29 but I still know very little about you.
00:19:31 What matters is that it turns out well.
00:22:23 Don't you think you're showing our poor doctors in a bad light
00:24:58 May I?
00:27:05 How is our new doctor settling in?
00:29:10 And nobody cares about a mental asylum.
00:34:14 This morning.
00:37:55 I'll keep this to remind me of you.
00:43:30 I said let her go.
00:46:10 Oh, go lay an egg!
00:51:30 - Here are the flowers. - Thanks.
00:56:07 You look at me as if I'm crazy. Maybe I am.
01:00:02 Why am I in here with the crackpots? Get me out of here.
01:02:32 What are you trying to prove? That Cora's madness
01:06:18 - Why, do you think... - There are enemies all around us.
01:09:25 and your treasures, your castles and your roses will disappear.
01:12:00 That will never be possible.
01:16:28 Your vanity and sexual exhibitionism disgust me!
01:21:28 I'm sorry, it was your favourite...
01:27:26 - Aren't we all a little? - But I'm scared. Understand? Scared.
01:32:27 You're happy because you don't know it.