Anna Karenina Page #22

Ah . . . My love.

He kisses her brow and her eyes.

97

VRONSKY (CONT'D)

Well, love was never a game to us. Here's an

end to living in corners, existing day to day

on lies. Yes, now we can be together.

ANNA:

How can we, Alexei?

VRONSKY:

Tell Karenin everything.

ANNA:

Do you think my husband will make you a

present of me?

VRONSKY:

Leave him.

ANNA:

Leave him and be your mistress?

VRONSKY:

Yes. Run away.

ANNA:

I would never see my son again. The laws

are made by husbands and fathers.

VRONSKY:

What, then? I'll never forgive myself for

your unhappiness.

Anna looks into his face.

98

ANNA:

Unhappiness? I'm like a starving beggar

who has been given food.

She smiles rapturously.

ANNA (CONT'D)

I unhappy? No, this is my happiness!

She kisses him deeply.

EXT. MAZE, KARENIN'S RENTED HOUSE,

TSARSKOE--DAY

It's a good maze. Anna and Serozha are running, laughing, between the

hedges. It's a game. She is trying to find her way to him, chasing him. A

hedge divides them. Serozha darts away from her, runs into a dead end,

doubles back. She spots him, follows him, and now he has eluded her again.

Serozha finds his way out of the maze and is confronted by Karenin.

KARENIN:

How are you, young man? Your tutor

doesn't seem to be in evidence. We'll have a

look at your lesson books.

Anna, coming out of the maze, sees Karenin, recovers.

ANNA:

Alexei!--you got away at last. Can you stay?

KARENIN:

Why . . . ?

Serozha looks scared to tears. Anna kisses him.

99

ANNA:

Go and find Vasily Lukich.

Serozha runs into the house.

ANNA (CONT'D)

I have to change. Princess Betsy is sending

her trap for me. Would you like to come?--

she's taking me to watch the race.

Karenin smiles coldly.

KARENIN:

Races, surely. No, I'll come on later, and

then I must get back to town.

Anna returns to the house. She wipes her kissed hand on her skirt.

EXT. THE RACES--DAY

This is a rough-and-ready racecourse but the venue for a high society occa-

sion, with a grandstand for top people and a grander section, ornamented

for greater comfort, for members of the Imperial family. It is also a fashion

parade for some.

The racecourse itself is an oval approached by a straight. There are nine

fences, water-jumps, etc., of various difficulty. The "jockeys" are officers in

the Guards, the Hussars and other regiments.

Among them is Vronsky, attended by a Trainer who is fussing over Frou-

Frou's bridle and calming her. Vronsky looks with interest at a big power-

ful horse which must be Gladiator, with Captain Makhotin already in the

saddle. Makhotin and Vronsky greet each other with a nod.

100

KARENIN:

-- arrives at the races . . . making his way towards the front, smiling,

raising his hat to acquaintances . . . his eyes busy looking for his wife. He

reaches the front and looks up at the Ladies' Stand.

EXT. THE LADIES' STAND, THE RACES, SAME TIME--

DAY:

Anna and Betsy are here, and, not far away, so are Countess Vronsky and

the Princesses Sorokina: the mother is a fading fortyish; the daughter is

eighteen, blonde and pretty.

Below the ladies section is a planked standing area for gentlemen, who also

may stand to watch the races from the stepped aisle of the seated section.

Soldiers, Horse People and Locals watch from the turf.

A race is flowing towards the winning post, with accompanying crowd reac-

tion, but it is clear from Anna's detachment, exchanging chat with Betsy,

that this is not Vronsky's race.

KARENIN:

--looks up to the ladies' stand. Betsy smiles at him in greeting, but Anna

seems unaware.

Countess Vronsky appraises the young princess.

COUNTESS VRONSKY

Exquisite creature . . . you really ought to be

the spoil of victory today . . .

The young princess smiles at her. Countess Vronsky turns her glasses towards

the Starting Post.

101

EXT. NEAR THE STARTING POST, THE RACES, SAME

TIME--DAY

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