The Big Fake Ending Explained: What Happened to Toni after Vittorio’s Betrayal?

The Big Fake Ending Explained: BEWARE, SPOILER ALERT. Inspired by real events, The Big Fake (Il falsario) is an Italian Netflix film set in Rome in the 1970s and tells the story, at least one of the possible versions, of Toni della Duchessa (Pietro Castellitto), an artist who comes to the city with the dream of becoming a great painter and leaving a mark. However, his decisions led him to become the greatest forger of all time, as well as a key character in the greatest mysteries of that country. What happened to Toni? The dramatic thriller directed by Stefano Lodovichi from a script by Lorenzo Bagnatori and Sandro Petraglia begins with what appears to be the death of Toni. Then the plot returns for three years and shows the trip to Rome of the protagonist and his friends, the communist Fabione (Andrea Arcangeli) and the priest Vittorio (Andrea Arcangeli).

The Big Fake is an Italian thriller that moves between politics, crime, and permanent lies. Set in 1970s Italy, the film follows Toni Chichiarelli, a brilliant forger capable of imitating any document, work of art, or identity. Along with his friends Vittorio and Fabione, Toni dreams of prospering in Rome, but soon finds himself caught between criminal gangs, state interests, and the political conflict around the Red Brigades. As violence escalates and allies begin to fall, Toni understands that surviving will not depend on her talent but on who she is willing to sacrifice. Despite her talent, Toni does not have the success she expected, but her life begins to change when she meets the gallery owner Donata (Giulia Michelini), who, after seeing her paintings, explains to her that her works are not commercial. However, after the night of passion, discover that the protagonist of “The Big Fake” can accurately duplicate other artists’ paintings, so he offers you a deal.

The Big Fake Ending Explained: What Happened to Toni after Vittorio’s Betrayal?

In addition to earning a large amount of money for a single painting, thanks to Donata, Toni meets Balbo (Edoardo Pesce), a gangster from the city, with whom the artist begins to work falsifying documents. One of his first clients is Sansiro, who requires a fake passport. Sansiro is delighted with the job, and because they share his fanaticism for Inter, he assures him that he owes him a favor.

Fabione is involved with the far-left militant organization Red Brigades, which causes some inconvenience for Toni, as Balbo is on the opposite side of the story. “The Big Fake’s” life improves: he has money thanks to his work as an artist and with the mafia, a love relationship with Donata, and he meets very influential people like the Tailor (Claudio Santamaria) and Zu Pipo (Fabrizio Ferracane).

But Toni’s happiness ends because of her ambition. They need to be noticed, so they accept dangerous jobs. When the Italian Prime Minister, Aldo Moro, is kidnapped by the Red Brigades, the Tailor asks him to falsify a statement from the Red Brigades, announcing Moro’s death. In the midst of this crisis, the tailor convinces the artist to be part of more dangerous missions, which alerts Donata.

After the appearance of Moro’s body, Balbo begins to suspect the Tailor, who works for important politicians. But he makes the mistake of confronting him, resulting in his death in a suspicious car accident. “The Big Fake” is greatly affected due to this and Donata’s abandonment, so when the Tailor tries to use his connection with Fabione to recover More’s memories.

What Happened to Toni?

Toni refuses to follow the Tailor’s orders, which undoubtedly has consequences: during the night, some hooded men break into his house and destroy his hands. It takes him several months to recover, and he understands that he needs to escape the city to be safe. Zu Pipo suggests that he not get into any more trouble with the wrong people, but Toni decides to act.

“The Big Fake” obtains Moro’s memories thanks to Fabione, to whom he gives a false passport so he can escape. However, Fabione is cornered by the police and killed. As a last resort, Toni talks to the Tailor and threatens him with those documents, which he entrusted to his friend Vittorio, to get the time necessary to escape.

The Tailor soon locates Vittorio, whom he pressures to hand over Aldo Moro’s memories. The priest accepts the money he offers him and the promotion he was previously denied and signs his friend’s death warrant. Sansiro is the executioner, but because of the favor he owes him, he gives him time to put his affairs in order, including Donata, who agreed to return to Toni and is pregnant.

Toni’s Last Plan?

After Fabione’s death and constant pressure from the Tailor —the dark representative of the State, Toni understands that Aldo Moro’s memorandum is both his salvation and his death sentence. Giving it up means disappearing; keep it, sign its execution. With Donata pregnant and wanting to flee Italy, Toni stages one last coup: steal enough money to disappear and use the political chaos as a smokescreen. The robbery, disguised as an action by the Red Brigades, not only gives him money but also puts him back on the Tailor’s radar. Toni believes she controls the situation, but makes her biggest mistake: trusting Vittorio.

Vittorio’s Silent Betrayal

The Tailor visits Vittorio and offers him an impossible choice: rat out Toni and deliver the memo, or see his career and life destroyed. In return, a tempting promise: protection and a future within the Church. Vittorio relents. He doesn’t tell Toni. He doesn’t face him. He just sells it. When Toni discovers that the memo has disappeared from the safe, she understands that there is no longer any room for doubt. Betrayal is not a theory: it is a fait accompli.

The Final Sacrifice

Sansiro, the Tailor’s hitman, needs a body to close the matter. Toni has two clear and brutal options: surrender or point fingers at Vittorio. There are no heroic speeches or prolonged dilemmas. Toni chooses to live.

He leaves Vittorio an ambiguous note and the keys to a new car, a last gesture that seems like a gift but is a trap. Sansiro waits inside the car. Vittorio dies riddled with bullets without fully understanding that his decision had already condemned him.

Escape and the Price of Moving Forward

Toni reunites with Donata and leaves Italy. He does not explicitly confess what happened, but his silence says it all. He has saved his life, secured his son’s future… and lost his last remaining friend. The ending does not attempt to absolve him. Toni survives, yes, but he does so converted into what he always was: a man capable of falsifying anything, even his own conscience.

At the end of “The Big Fake”, Toni leaves an emotional letter to his friend Vittorio, where he forgives him for his betrayal and gives him his car. When the priest gets into the vehicle, Sansiro murders him and leaves the body that the Tailor needs. This allows Toni to escape with Donata, but they must deal with the sacrifice they made to move forward. This is a version of the story of the famous Italian forger.