Anna Karenina Page #23

. . . Vronsky mounts Frou-Frou. The Riders move to the starting line.

KARENIN:

. . . watches Anna who is looking through her glasses towards the Starting

Post while the current race finishes to cheers.

KARENIN, SMILING AROUND, WATCHES AS:--

Anna's anxious attention turns to a horse and rider who fell further

down the course-- and to the ambulance wagon (with a red cross sewn

on it) . . .

Karenin mounts the steps of the aisle, raising his hat to ladies he knows.

Anna ignores him.

On the wooden boards below, where gentlemen are watching, Oblonsky calls

up to Betsy.

OBLONSKY:

Princess! A bet! What do you fancy in the

next?

BETSY:

Kusolev.

OBLONSKY:

I'm on Vronsky. A pair of gloves?

102

BETSY:

Done!

(TO ANNA)

Alexander Vronsky . . .

In the aisle at the top of the stand, Karenin watches as:--

Vronsky's brother Alexander, escorting his wife, Varya, bows to Anna and

Betsy, but significantly Varya succeeds in not noticing them.

EXT. STARTING POST, THE RACES, SAME TIME--DAY

The riders line up . . . and they're off.

VRONSKY'S POV

The stands and spectators are distant, the first fence coming at him, horses

on either side. His neighbour falls at the fence but Frou-Frou is clear, with

Gladiator half a length in front. The next fence is coming up. Gladiator

and Frou-Frou jump cleanly but a following horse falls badly.

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

Spectators on either side of Anna and those behind and in front collectively react.

KARENIN SEES THAT:

Anna reacts not at all. Her gaze through her glasses stays unwavering

on Vronsky. Karenin notes this, and from then on his attention is fixed on

Anna. When the horses come opposite the stand, she lowers her glasses and

follows Frou-Frou taking the lead from Gladiator.

103

VRONSKY:

-- eases Frou-Frou past Gladiator. The horses take the next jump.

LADIES' STAND

With one hand Anna grips her folded fan.

Karenin's face is a mask as he watches Anna unconsciously half-destroying

it. She raises her glasses.

ANNA'S POV THROUGH GLASSES

Frou-Frou approaches the last fence with Gladiator half a length behind,

on the near side to Anna.

VRONSKY:

-- working the reins, rising and falling in rhythm with the horse, looks

ahead to the winning post, and before knowing it he makes an error, losing

the rhythm, dropping back into the saddle and raising the horse's head, just

as Frou-Frou takes off.

ANNA'S POV (THROUGH GLASSES)

Frou-Frou rises, Gladiator rises. Frou-Frou disappears. Gladiator clears

the fence in Anna's foreground. Simultaneously, there are shrieks and

exclamations all around her-- OFF CAMERA-- and the view through

the glasses zigzags in search of Frou-Frou, impeded by horses jumping the

fence.

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She lowers the glasses and sees Frou-Frou on the ground, rolling over, and

Vronsky on the ground.

COUNTESS VRONSKY

-- sees this, too, her mouth set tight with contempt.

KARENIN:

--looks shocked. Almost in the same moment he hears Anna's anguished

cry, conspicuous in the hubbub that follows the crowd's exclamation.

ANNA:

Alexei . . . !

KARENIN:

I'm here.

This is adroit. He comes down several steps and pushes through to offer his arm,

but Anna has lost control, trying to escape like a bird beating against its cage.

KARENIN (CONT'D)

Would you like to leave?

Anna ignores him, puts her glasses to her eyes, searching out Vronsky.

ON THE COURSE:

Vronsky extricates himself from his broken horse and, in terrible recrimina-

tion, tries to pull Frou-Frou to her feet by the reins. Frou-Frou struggles

to get up but her back is broken. Officials, officers, and a doctor have come

running.

105

ANNA:

. . . sees an Officer hurrying to the Imperial party to report.

ANNA:

Stiva! What are they saying?

OBLONSKY:

Vronsky's unhurt--but the horse . . .

Anna relapses into sobs, attempting to hide her face behind her destroyed

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