Anna Karenina Page #19

He reaches down for her. She grasps hold of his hand, huddled, hugs it to

her, distressed to tears.

ANNA:

Oh God forgive me. It's the end of

everything--I've got nothing left now, only

you. Remember that.

VRONSKY:

Anna . . . Anna . . . how can I not remem-

ber? You're my happiness.

He draws her back on to the bed, kisses her face, her shoulder . . .

83

ANNA:

Happiness! You murdered my happiness.

She tries to leave but he attacks her as a lover, and she gives way, responding.

ANNA (CONT'D)

Murderer. Murderer. Go on. Go on. Go on.

She starts hitting him.

ANNA (CONT'D)

Yes. Go on. Go on. Go on.

EXT. SPRING MELT (POKROVSKOE)--DAY

In sunshine, a large chunk of ice loses its purchase on winter and goes

floating along a stream of tiny ice floes between grassy banks almost free of

snow, with early aconites showing.

EXT. POKROVSKOE--DAY

The icy stream flows under a footbridge which has a broken handrail.

Vasili, the steward, is on the bridge with a Carpenter. Levin, on horseback, is

displeased.

LEVIN:

I thought that had been done.

VASILI:

I gave the order. What can you do with

these people?

Levin rides on, into an expanded prospect of fields and woods, snow on the ground.

84

LATER:

When Levin gets in view of the house, he is puzzled by the distant sight of

a three-horse sledge arriving.

INT. DINING ROOM, POKROVSKOE--DAY

The new arrival is Oblonsky, enjoying his food.

OBLONSKY:

Ah--potage aux choux a la Russe!

Agafia comes in with the roast fowl.

OBLONSKY (CONT'D)

Agafia!--if you opened up in Moscow,

l'Angleterre would go out of business.

Do you want news of Moscow?

LEVIN:

Of Babylon? No.

OBLONSKY:

You're right, what do you care? You love the

country--you've got it. You love agricultur-

ing, and, Lord knows, you've got it. You love

shooting--you've got it. You've got every-

thing you want!

Agafia, leaving, throws Levin a look (no wife).

LEVIN:

All right, go on, then. Have you stopped

stealing bread rolls?

85

OBLONSKY:

Ballet girl, oriental type. How can I help it?

LEVIN:

So, nothing new to tell me. How is--how

are the Shcherbatskys?

OBLONSKY:

You mean Kitty.

LEVIN:

I . . . Is she engaged now?

OBLONSKY:

No. Vronsky went back to St. Petersburg.

He waits for this to sink in.

OBLONSKY (CONT'D)

Kitty will be at Ergoshovo visiting Dolly in

the summer. You could . . .

LEVIN:

Oh yes, as if I had time in the summer! And

I've got extra land this year at Kashin for

the haymaking.

OBLONSKY:

Kashin? That's on the Ergoshovo road, isn't

it? Won't you call when Kitty is there?

LEVIN:

(HEATEDLY)

Especially not then. I humiliated myself once.

Now it's a row.

86

OBLONSKY:

Damn you, Kostya, you love Kitty and you

can't forgive her because, first, you funked

it, then you bungled it, then you ran away

from an eighteen-year-old girl who was

made a fool of by a uniform. It's Kitty I'm

sorry for--not you!

LEVIN:

Her heart told her no. Did you come to

shoot snipe or criticize me?

EXT. COPSE (POKROVSKOE)-- LAST LIGHT

Levin and Oblonsky, with Laska, wait with their guns, a few yards apart.

Levin has calmed down.

LEVIN:

For you, getting married is . . . a social engage-

ment. Not for me. For me, it's the condition of

personal happiness and living the right way.

I'll never again be carried away by passion. I

renounce it. I'll have to find another way . . .

OBLONSKY:

Look out--here they come!

A couple of snipe come drumming over the trees. The men fire simultane-

ously. One snipe falls.

OBLONSKY (CONT'D)

Bad luck!

Oblonsky laughs. Despite himself, Levin laughs too. Laska retrieves the bird.

87

INT. DAY NURSERY, OBLONSKY HOUSE--DAY

Rate this script:3.0 / 1 vote