Anna Karenina Page #4

the effect on Sergei, our son.

Good night.

Too late.

Too late.

You misunderstand entirely

my friendship with Madam Karenina.

Oh, I know, I know.

But you're letting it interfere

with your career, and that is fatal.

Why can't you take this sort of thing

more casually?

I'm sorry, Mother, to find you cynical.

And I'm sorry, son,

to find you sentimental.

I'm only thinking of you

and your whole life.

You'll have to excuse me. I must go

to the stables and look at Frou Frou.

- Are you coming to the races?

- Certainly not.

I do not care to see you risk your neck

on the racecourse also.

- Well, goodbye.

- Goodbye, Mother.

And good luck.

I came here to give you

some good advice...

which I knew in advance

would not be taken.

It's so refreshing

not to be disappointed.

- Well, how's Frou Frou?

- A bit frisky this morning, sir.

- What's the matter with you?

- I've been up all night.

I need a pick-me-up.

Tereschenko, some brandy,

seltzer water and lemon.

Some salted cucumber

and a small bottle of champagne.

Nothing like it.

Brandy settles your stomach...

and the cucumber and champagne

sets you up.

Makes you feel as fit as a Cossack.

Why...

I saw the general this morning.

I knew the minute I looked

at that transparent face of yours...

that something was up.

You know, he's very fond of you.

Well, what form does the general's

fondness take this time?

Well, I'm not going to

beat around the bush.

The long and short of it is,

he asked me to tell you that...

Well?

Well, he knows

that I'm your best friend...

and he went to the trouble to...

Tereschenko, another brandy

and a large bottle of champagne.

Well?

Shall I put it bluntly?

- I wish you'd put it.

- Here it is.

He wanted me to tell you...

that if your name continues

to be linked with a certain lady...

he will be forced to ask you

to resign from the regiment.

That is the general's message, is it?

That is what he said.

Tereschenko, another brandy.

You can tell the general for me...

that if it came to a choice

between him and this lady...

I'd give up the regiment in a minute.

Consider myself lucky.

- Vronsky. Vronsky, I beg of you...

- You tell that to the general.

- Madam Karenina in?

- Yes, sir. Madam is in the garden.

- Shall I...?

- Thank you, I know.

Alexei.

Your eyes are troubled.

Are they?

I know at once when there's

something wrong with you.

Is it the race?

I feel that we're being watched eternally.

Watched and criticized from all sides.

Anna...

I'll give everything up joyfully

if you'll divorce Karenin and marry me.

You and I, together, before everyone.

No more deceit.

No more subterfuge.

That would be heaven on earth.

Oh, my darling.

- My darling.

- Mother.

Mother.

- How do you do, sir.

- How do you do, Sergei.

- Are you riding for your regiment today?

- Yes.

One day, you'll be riding

for your regiment, I hope.

Of course. Are you going to win

this afternoon?

Well, I shall do my best.

- What is your horse's name?

- Frou Frou.

Frou Frou? My pony's name is Invincible.

Well, that's rather an imposing name

for a pony.

You know, my tutor, Fiodor Ivanovitch,

says that jumping's very dangerous.

How high can you jump?

You know, my tutor says that...

That's all right.

Go back to your pony, and I'll come

and see you ride in a minute.

Well, goodbye, Count Vronsky.

I only wanted to tell him

some of Fiodor Ivanovitch's ideas.

- Well, I'm sorry, I have to go now.

- Goodbye, Sergei.

Goodbye. And don't forget to come

and watch me ride, will you, Mother?

Sergei.

I wasn't thinking of Sergei.

You must decide, Anna,

between me and...

And the rest.

Please don't force me.

Wait till I'm calmer.

I can't decide anything now.

Anna, listen.

I'm weighing my words very carefully.

For you, if need be...

I'm willing to give up everything.

- Will you do as much for me?

- I can't.

- You mean you won't.

- I can't leave Sergei.

Very well, then.

Oh, Alexei.

Alexei!

- Alexei!

- Look, Mother.

Look, I'm on my pony.

Look. Quickly, come to me.

Look.

Are you backing Vronsky, Karenin?

I never bet, my dear countess.

They're off!

Come on, Vronsky!

Come on, Vronsky!

Come on, Vronsky.

Come on, Vronsky.

Anna, if you want to go home,

I'll take you.

- They'll shoot the horse.

- Is Vronsky hurt?

I can't tell yet.

I say again, Anna, if you want

to go home, let me take you.

Leave me alone, please.

Vronsky's all right.

For the third time, I suggest

that you'd better come home.

- I'll take care of her.

- No, countess. Anna isn't well.

I prefer to take her home myself.

You have done

what I particularly asked you not to do.

I stand for certain things

in the public eye, certain principles.

You are making me ridiculous,

and that I will not tolerate.

Perhaps I am mistaken in the

interpretation I put upon your conduct.

You are not mistaken.

- In that case, then...

- You are not mistaken.

I love him.

I cannot bear you.

I'm afraid of you.

Do with me what you like.

For some time...

For some time, I have known

that in uniting my life to yours...

I have made a mistake.

But this I must bear for the sake

of my public duty...

and for the sake of my child.

I believe in marriage as a sacrament.

I could not consider myself justified

in breaking the ties...

by which we are bound

by a higher power.

The family cannot be broken up...

by a whim or a caprice...

or even by the sin of one

of the partners in the marriage.

Our life must go on

as it has done in the past.

- But it can't go on.

- It must.

I have stated these views in public,

and I will not violate them in private.

- Then you will not give me a divorce?

- Never.

Why should I?

To permit you to legalize a sin?

To justify your conduct and his?

Never.

Whatever happens, I know this:

You'll always be in the right.

- And I...

- You will remain here as my wife...

before the world.

You will never see this...

This person again.

And the alternative?

You will join the ranks of those women

of ambiguous position...

who travel about Europe

from one watering place to another...

neither married nor unmarried,

with no future and no present...

with only your great love

to sustain you.

You will resign all claim to Sergei...

because it would be my duty...

to remove him from your influence.

You say this knowing this I cannot do.

There is no life for me without my child.

To leave him would be

infamous and base.

I couldn't.

And you know I couldn't.

Very well.

I can assume, then, that you will

never again jeopardize my honor.

Oh, your honor.

Your selfishness, your hypocrisy,

your egotism.

You've never considered me

as a human being.

Your social position

and your reputation...

...these must be kept up at what cost

to those who are around you?

At what cost?

It's time for my appointment

at the ministry.

As a matter of fact, I've been

analyzing this code of ours...

and it doesn't stand up.

For instance...

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