- Rome, June 1800. Floria Tosca is a celebrated opera singer, better known as La Tosca. Her lover is Mario Cavaradossi, a young artist and Bomapartist sympathizer. When the latter helps Angelotti, the leader of the opposition, to escape from prison and hides him in La Tosca's home, he antagonizes Baron Scarpia, the ruthless chief of police, all the more as his love for Tosca is unrequited. Scarpia has Mario arrested and condemned to death. Upset, Floria begs the Baron for her lover's life. He accepts to have the bullets of the firing squad replaced by blanks if... she sleeps with him. She agrees nominally but when she finds herself with Scarpia, she stabs him to death. She then goes to see Mario in his cell and lets him know about his phony execution. But Scarpia had had time to get the order reversed and in the early hours of the morning, Mario is executed in the proper manner. In despair, Tosca throws herself into the void...—Guy Bellinger
- The opening- scene of this powerful drama reveals the interior of the dressing room of Floria Tosca, a public singer, who is in love with a young artist named Mario Cavaradossi. The happy lovers are together when Baron Scarpia, who is chief of police and a man greatly feared by all, enters and imperiously demands a private audience with Tosca. Mario reluctantly retires, and when Scarpia finds himself alone with the woman whom he intends winning, he immediately makes ardent love to her. But she will have none of him and when he tries to embrace her she calls for help, whereupon Mario rushes in and strongly denounces the cowardly villain, who leaves the place, vowing vengeance. While passing through the public square in front of the theater, Scarpia is attracted by a great multitude of people, and, upon investigation, finds that a political demonstration is in progress and that some strong speeches are being made against the government. He, therefore, loses no time in placing Angelotti, the leader, under arrest. At this juncture Tosca and Mario come upon the scene, and, being friends of the accused man, plead with the heartless wretch to have mercy and release him. Scarpia, hungry for revenge, pays no heed to their plea, whereupon Mario denounces him as a monster and swears that he will aid the prisoner, even at the risk of his own life. In the next picture we see the dungeon at Fort St. Ange, where Angelotti is imprisoned, awaiting the sentence of death. Mario, true to his vow, comes to the place and throws a note through the window, informing the doomed man that in the loaf of bread and supposed jug of water he will find the necessary articles to help him make his escape. The prisoner, overjoyed at the news, finds a file in the bread and a rope in the jug, and, when all is still, he files away the bars of the window and lets himself down with the rope. Mario stands waiting for him at the edge of the wall, but, just as they are about to steal away, a sentinel catches sight of the fleeing pair, and, after firing on them, rushes with the news of the escape to Baron Scarpia. The latter, realizing that the prisoner is being aided by Mario, goes direct to the home of Tosca, where the fugitive has found shelter. Upon hearing Scarpia at the gate. Mario bids the fugitive hide in a well. Scarpia then enters in a terrible rage. He accuses Mario of harboring the criminal, but the artist denies all knowledge of the fugitive's whereabouts. Scarpia threateningly demands where Angelotti may be, and warns Mario that torture will conquer his reticence. All during this stormy interview Tosca clings to her lover, and Scarpia, in a jealous rage, gives orders to have the artist's head bound in a fillet of steel. With fiendish cruelty Scarpia asks the questions, and as Mario refuses to divulge the hiding place, the torture is made more severe, until Mario falls fainting in the arms of Tosca. Unable to bear the anguish longer, the terrified woman divulges the secret, and as the officers take the prisoner from the well he falls dead at their feet from the effects of poison which he has taken. The next picture reveals the interior of Scarpia's apartment, where he sits at his desk and writes the death sentence of Mario, thinking that, once he is out of the way, he, himself, will have some chance with Tosca. Through an open door we see the doomed man being led to be tortured, followed by his devoted and heartbroken sweetheart. As they pass Scarpia's room, Tosca enters and pleads for her lover's release. She frantically implores the hardhearted man to save Mario, telling him in her desperation to name his price. Scarpia informs her, therefore, that he will free the condemned man if she promises to give him up and transfer her affections to himself. Unable to stand the strain any longer, she signifies her consent, but bargains that her lover be freed immediately. Scarpia tells her that he cannot release a prisoner at once, but that he will change the death sentence from hanging to military execution, giving orders that blank cartridges shall be used. Scarpia writes out the order, but deceives Tosca, for, with a sinister glance to the waiting officer, he lets him understand that it is to be sure death. Tosca then demands a passport for herself and Mario, which is given her, and, as Scarpia comes toward her with open arms to receive his reward, he is met with a dagger which the woman sinks deep into his heart, and he falls to the floor, dead. Then lighting two candles, Tosca places them at his head, and. detaching a crucifix from the wall, places it on the breast of the corpse, and, undiscovered, she leaves the place. The hour for the execution arrives, and Tosca assures Mario that all will be well and that he must feign death. Bravely the painter takes his place before the muskets and falls with the volley from the rifles. Tosca then rushes to her lover and bids him arise, but when he does not move she tears off the cloak, and there, to her horror, discovers that he is truly dead and that the execution has indeed been a real one. A moment later the officers appear and accuse her of the murder of Scarpia, whereupon she rushes to the edge of the parapet and flings herself down into the court. - The Moving Picture World, June 5, 1909
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