Anna Karenina Page #39

VARYA:

Oh, Alexei . . . I'm fond of you . . . but . . .

VRONSKY:

For God's sake, Anna isn't a criminal!

VARYA:

I'd call on her if she'd only broken the law.

But she broke the rules.

Vronsky is angry and offended. He gets up, bows to Varya. When he looks

up, he sees Betsy beckoning to him from her box.

INT. ANNA'S BOX, SAME TIME--NIGHT

Anna watches Vronsky, sees him acknowledge Betsy's summons.

PRINCESS MYAGKAYA

Who has made the decor? Haven't we got

a programme? Colonel, would you be so

kind . . . ?

YASHVIN:

Of course.

Anna's neighbour, emboldened, offers her his programme.

174

NEIGHBOUR:

Please . . . I would be honoured if you would

take mine . . .

ANNA:

Thank you, how very . . .

The Neighbour's Wife, catching this, reacts as though electrocuted.

INT. BETSY'S BOX, SAME TIME--NIGHT

Princess Betsy is smoking. Prince Tverskoy is examining an ancient book.

Vronsky enters the box. He bows to the Prince, and kisses Betsy's hand.

PRINCE TVERSKOY:

Catullus, printed in Venice, 1501 . . .

remarkable.

A grovelling House Manager appears in their midst, to tell Betsy she can't

smoke in the box.

HOUSE MANAGER:

(BOWING)

A thousand apologies, Princess, but . . .

Princess Betsy blows smoke and hands the cigarette, in its holder, to a figure

standing quietly in the shadowy corner of the box: Makhotin. Makhotin

takes the cigarette from the holder, crushes it in his left palm. He feels

humiliated . . . but that's love. The House Manger bows and leaves.

VRONSKY:

Captain Makhotin . . .

The Angry Wife's voice cuts through the audience chatter.

175

WIFE'S VOICE

It's a disgrace! Take me home!

Vronsky turns round to look. He sees the Husband trying to calm his Wife.

WIFE:

Fetch my cloak!

Vronsky sees Anna looking straight ahead. Yashvin is eating his moustache.

INT. ANNA'S BOX, SAME TIME--NIGHT

The scene next door is a social catastrophe for Anna, but she is riding it.

Princess Myagkaya takes her hand. Yashvin shrinks into his corner, morti-

fied. The whole opera house is becoming aware of the "scandal." The Angry

Wife has raised her voice.

INT. NEIGHBOUR'S BOX, SAME TIME--NIGHT

WIFE:

What are we coming to?

The Husband has succeeded in putting his wife's cloak over her shoulders.

Her exit line is for the benefit of the entire audience.

WIFE (CONT'D)

Is this the opera house or a--or a French

music hall-- ?!

The Wife and her Husband leave the box.

176

INT. BETSY'S OPERA BOX, SAME TIME--NIGHT

Vronsky is tormented. He moves to leave the box.

BETSY:

(SARCASTIC)

Yes, why don't you? Rescue her and put

your seal on the fiasco.

Vronsky knows it and is trapped.

BETSY (CONT'D)

Alexei . . . you see why she must divorce.

Marriage will solve everything. When will

it be?

VRONSKY:

As far as I'm concerned, she's my wife.

BETSY:

But, as you saw, she isn't.

VRONSKY:

We're going to Moscow, and then to my

place in the country.

BETSY:

That sounds like a good idea.

VRONSKY:

But for a day or two, Anna will be at home,

at my flat.

Betsy shrugs.

177

VRONSKY (CONT'D)

(PAUSE)

Then, I'll say goodbye now.

INT. VRONSKY'S FLAT, ST. PETERSBURG--NIGHT

Angry and upset, Anna sweeps into the flat in her opera cloak. Vronsky

follows her in.

ANNA:

. . . you had an excellent night! Does your

mother want you to marry the widow or the

child?

VRONSKY:

Either one.

ANNA:

Don't make a joke of it. If you loved me, you

would have locked me in to stop me going.

She throws aside her cloak and goes into the bedroom.

INT. BEDROOM, VRONSKY FLAT, SAME TIME--NIGHT

Annushka, asleep in a chair, waiting loyally, wakes up.

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