Bitter Moon Page #6

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The future

seemed bright with promise,

peopled with

a thousand alluring images,

most of them female.

( singing in French )

- ( phone ringing )

- ***!

Oui?

Mimi:

It's me. Oscar?

I'm here.

I'm scared.

What?

I can't live without you.

I'm afraid you're

just going to have to.

I won't.

Look, we've been

through all this before,

haven't we?

So why don't we

give it a rest?

Look up some friends,

have some fun.

We just went

over the top, that's all.

In a few days,

you'll be grateful to me

for having made the first move.

( dial tone beeping )

( rock music playing )

Oscar:

Was she playacting?

I couldn't be sure.

I called her old roommate.

No dice.

I spent the rest

of the day wondering,

half the night drinking.

I was waiting for you.

- I can see that.

I wonder why.

- You know why.

I know I'm wrecked

and I'm gonna crash.

No, wait!

- ( dog barking )

- Let go of me.

No, I want

to tell you something.

There's nothing more

to be said, Mimi.

- Please!

- For Christ's sake.

It's not going to make it

any easier on us.

You-- you've got

to listen to me, please.

- Please listen to me.

- Oh, for God's sake.

- Please!

- ( barking )

( speaks French )

All right.

You better come in.

( keys jangling )

You want one?

All right.

What's so important?

It's true what I said.

I can't live without you.

Oh, if that's all

you came to tell me--

- Please don't throw me out!

- It's too late.

Give me one last chance.

I'm ready to live with you

on any terms, any at all.

I can't bear anything else

because when I'm with you

sometimes--

( sobbing )

You can shout at me.

You can leave me.

You can have other women.

I don't care

what you do,

but please...

don't send me away.

Even if

you don't love me anymore,

keep me with you

out of pity.

There's nothing

I wouldn't do to stay with you.

Please, please!

Please!

I beg you!

Please!

Please, I beg you!

Oscar:

Everyone has a sadistic streak.

And nothing brings it out

better than the knowledge

you've got someone

at your mercy.

If she really fancied

living in a living hell,

I'd make it so hot,

even she would want out.

It feels so good.

Yeah, it does, Cindy.

Cindy?

I mean Mimi.

Uh, Mimi.

( laughing )

Sure, I'm on.

- Yeah, why not?

- ( door opens )

Round up a couple of chicks.

We'll make a night of it.

Mm-hmm. Who?

Ah, you bet.

It's the best piece of ***

this side of the river.

( laughs )

All right.

Yeah, I'll see you there.

Yeah?

Dinner's ready.

I'm eating out.

Tonight?

What's so special

about tonight?

- It's your holiday.

- What holiday?

Thanksgiving.

I wanted to surprise you.

All right.

Let's see what you got.

Christ, what is that?

Turkey.

I cooked it

for you special.

Cremated it, you mean.

That's it.

I'm off.

Won't you even

try a little?

You're joking.

I have too much respect

for my dentist.

Listen, in the future,

forget about cooking.

Stick to what you can do.

You know, which reminds me,

what happened

to your dance classes?

- Dancing has to come

from the heart.

- So?

My heart is broken.

♪ Sweet dreams

are made of this ♪

♪ Who am I to disagree?

Oscar:

I was getting to her at last.

I'd achieved

the impossible.

She was losing her looks

and her figure,

wasting away, breaking out

in nervous rashes,

developing spots.

♪ Some of them want

to get used by you ♪

♪ Some of them

want to abuse you... ♪

Oscar:

We were just admiring

your new hairstyle.

Really?

Yeah. Susan here

thinks it suits you.

I do too.

I can't put my finger on it,

but it reminds me of something.

Oh, I know.

Rita.

Rita?

You know, Rita.

Rita--

the neighbor's dog.

Just a minute, wait.

What's that?

It looks like a zit.

It is.

And your nose

is shiny too.

Hon,

I'm not a makeup artist,

but I could

do better than that.

( slow music playing )

Oscar:
Hey!

I didn't know we were

having a Halloween party.

Oscar:

She was so easy to hurt.

It was getting to be

like shooting fish in a barrel.

( typing )

( whirring )

Not now, for Christ's sake!

Can't you see

that I'm trying to work?

( vacuum dies )

Anyway, have I ever asked you

to clean the house for me?

No.

So stop

playing the martyr.

And take that thing

off your head.

It makes you look

even uglier than usual.

You're really

letting yourself go.

You know, I'm ashamed

to be seen going around

with you these days.

What is it now?

I-- I expect--

Huh?

What do you expect?

A baby.

What did you say?

I'm going to have a baby.

Oh, my God.

How long have you known?

Only since yesterday.

Two months,

the doctor says.

What are you going

to do about it?

Do about it?

Look at me.

Do I look like a daddy?

Can you see us

bringing up a child

in this place?

I'm pushing 40.

I haven't even sold

a single book yet.

The world

doesn't know I exist.

Not a day goes by

that I don't think

it might be better

just to kill myself

and be done with it.

Would it be fair

to saddle a child

with a father like this?

Be honest.

( sobbing )

( birds chirping )

( door opens )

Oscar:

They told me

there were complications,

but I wasn't prepared

to see her

looking like a marble figure

on a tomb.

For a moment,

I-- I almost weakened.

You came.

Why wouldn't I?

I brought you flowers.

You're here.

Nothing else matters.

I've been thinking.

When you're on your feet,

we'll go away together.

Just the two of us.

Away?

Yeah.

Far, far away.

***. No room.

You look pale, baby.

Feeling all right?

( grunts )

Excuse me.

Oh, pardon.

Je me excuse.

Look, there it is.

That's what you need, baby.

I can just see you

luxuriating under

one of them palms

with a tall glass

in your hand.

Oh, hell, I can't sit

through the whole trip

this way.

I'm gonna get them

to stow it somewhere.

I'll be right back.

Your baggage

has already been loaded

and it can't travel

without you.

No.

( grunting )

- This is all I got.

- ( woman speaking French )

May I see your ticket,

please?

( speaking French )

I shall have to check

with the captain.

( silent )

( grunting )

Oscar:

I could picture her

looking out the window

at that beautiful moon,

the same one I could see,

but I bet

it didn't look the same to her.

It depends

on your state of mind,

the way things grab you.

To her,

it must have been poison.

To me, sweet as a peach.

Nigel:

I don't know about you.

Sometimes I think

you make things up

as you go along.

I wish you were right,

Nigel.

My imagination

isn't half that fertile.

I might have made it

into print after all.

I mean, if even half

that story were true,

you'd be too bloody ashamed

to tell it.

( chuckles )

Boy.

You still don't know me

at all.

You're still angry

with me?

I don't know.

I'm confused.

I wanted you to hear it.

Well, my God, I'd sooner

have heard it from you.

I leave the words to him.

They're all he has left.

When-- when can we

be alone together?

I mean, really alone?

First hear the rest

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