Life Is Beautiful (La vita è bella) Scene 5 Summary

  • At town hall, Guido asks a secretary what it'll take to open a bookstore. The secretary says he'll need the department head to sign an application.
  • Guido realizes he still has the eggs in his pocket and removes them while dictating his application to the secretary.
  • The department head, one Rodolfo by name, comes out. Guido asks for his signature, but Rodolfo tells him no and leaves the office.
  • Guido complains about the man's nasty demeanor. While doing so, he leans against the window sill and knocks a flower pot out.
  • The flower pot, of course, falls with perfect comedic timing to nail Rodolfo on the noggin. The impact even comes with that classic pot crash sound effect.
  • Guido rushes downstairs to see if Rodolfo's okay. He puts the eggs in the man's hat and helps him up.
  • Rodolfo angrily says Guido can forget about the bookstore and reaches for his hat. Guido tries to warn him, but Rodolfo gets egged anyway.
  • Guido runs and, um, borrows a passerby's bike. Pedaling down the street, he loses control and bumps into Dora, who's teaching a class.
  • He only has time to give her a quick "Good morning, Princess" before he continues running from Rodolfo.