I Borgia

This 1920 cinematic tapestry unfurls with the ascent of Rodrigo Borgia to the Holy See, a coronation that serves as the grim prologue to a symphony of ecclesiastical decadence and fratricidal ambition. The narrative lens shifts focus toward Cesare Borgia, a figure of predatory tenacity whose obsession with the eradication of Alfonso of Aragon—Lucrezia’s spouse—functions as the film's primary engine of tension. As Lucrezia navigates the labyrinthine social obligations of the Roman elite, Cesare’s agents shadow her husband with lethal intent. The tragedy reaches its zenith during a lavish banquet; while Lucrezia is occupied by the artifice of statecraft, Alfonso is brutally dispatched by a blade in the dark. The revelation of Cesare’s hand in this regicide provides the spark for a populist conflagration, as the Roman citizenry, weary of the Borgia hegemony, rises in a visceral revolt that culminates in the despot’s violent downfall at the hands of the mob.