Dangerous Beauty Page #5

AND WHEN SHE DIES,

SHE'LL WONDER WHY SHE OBEYED

ALL THE RULES OF GOD AND COUNTRY

BECAUSE NO BIBLICAL HELL

COULD EVER BE WORSE

THAN THIS STATE OF

PERPETUAL INCONSEQUENCE.

[BELL TOLLING]

Veronica:

SILENT GOD IGNORES MY PRAYER

AND RENDERS LOS WHAT ONCE WAS FAIR.

ONCE BLISSFUL:

FORTUNE'S FAVORED CITY,

NOW WHEELED FATE TURNS,

NO TRACE OF PITY.

[BELL TOLLING]

Man:
CITIZENS OF VENICE!

LOOK AROUND YOU NOW A THE DISEASE AND DEATH

THAT HAVE TAKEN OVER

OUR ONCE BEAUTIFUL CITY

AND TELL ME THIS PLAGUE

IS NOT A PUNISHMENT FROM GOD!

WE ARE SURROUNDED

BY HARLOTS AND COURTESANS!

WE MUST CAST OU THOSE WHO TEMPT US

FOR WE ARE A CITY OF SHAME,

OF FORNICATION,

AND CARNAL PRACTICES

THAT DEFY DESCRIPTION!

WE WILL GO THE WAY

OF SODOM AND GOMORRA

AND BECOME DUS IN THE SANDS OF TIME!

Ramberti:
MARCO!

THERE IS NEWS FROM VENICE.

[WOMEN

CRYING AND SCREAMING]

Man:
THE CORRUPTION

OF THEIR FLESH,

THE PAINT ON THEIR FACES,

THE VILE COLORING

OF THEIR HAIR,

THEIR WANTON DRESS,

LOOK ON THEM, AND LOOK

WITHIN YOURSELVES AT THE LUST!

[MEN SHOUTING]

MY LIFE...

YOU'RE ALIVE.

FORGIVE ME. FORGIVE ME.

[BABBLING]

PLEASE FORGIVE ME.

[CRYING]

I'M SORRY.

BACK.

Woman:
IT'S GOD'S

VENGEANCE ON YOU, WHORE.

[SHOUTING]

Woman:
DIE!

SIGNORA VERONICA FRANCO,

I HEREBY SUMMON YOU

TO APPEAR BEFORE THE TRIBUNAL

OF THE HOLY INQUISITION.

YOU HAVE NO JURISDICTION

HERE, SENATOR.

I SPEAK FOR THE CHURCH.

THE INQUISITION?

IN VENICE?

WE HAVE 56,000 DEAD.

THE LIVING WANT ANSWERS.

THEY MAY BE WRONG,

BUT THEY WANT THEM.

JUST BE GLAD THOSE BASTARDS

AREN'T BURNING US OUT.

YOU CAN STOP IT!

IF THE DOGE OF VENICE

WERE TO COME OUT IN DEFENSE

OF A NOTORIOUS COURTESAN--

NOW SHE'S NOTORIOUS!

BEFORE SHE WAS:

A NATIONAL ASSET!

IT WOULD TOPPLE:

THE GOVERNMENT.

THESE ARE GRIM TIMES,

SENATOR.

I CAN NO LONGER BE A PARTY

TO THIS TRAVESTY!

YOU ARE:

AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.

YOU CANNO REFUSE YOUR OFFICE.

IF YOU COMPEL ME TO CONTINUE,

THEN YOU COMPEL ME CONDONE

THESE PROCEEDINGS.

AM I MISTAKEN, OR IS VENICE

STILL A FREE REPUBLIC?

DO YOU THINK RUINING

YOURSELF WILL HELP HER?

[DOOR OPENS]

[SHOUTING]

[CANE THUMPS]

BY THE ORDER OF THE POPE,

THE HOLY INQUISITION

HAS COME TO VENICE TO SEEK

OUT HERESY AND BELIEFS

ANATHEMA TO THE CHURCH.

VERONICA FRANCO...

YOU HAVE BEEN DENOUNCED ON

THE CHARGE OF WITCHCRAFT...

A MORTAL SIN:

PUNISHABLE BY DEATH.

SHOULD YOU:

CONFESS AND REPEN

AT ANY TIME DURING

THESE PROCEEDINGS,

YOU WILL BE:

MERCIFULLY WELCOMED BACK

INTO THE BOSOM:

OF THE HOLY MOTHER CHURCH.

YOUR HOLINESS,

I MAY ONLY--

SILENCE!

THE ACCUSED:

SHALL MAKE NO UTTERANCE

EXCEPT TO ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS

OR TO CONFESS.

PROCEED, MONSIGNOR.

VENICE...

EVER A NOBLE REPUBLIC...

HOME OF LEARNING...

ART...

COMMERCE...

HAS BEEN BROUGHT LOW BY

WAR AND PLAGUE.

DO YOU KNOW WHY,

SIGNORA FRANCO?

I AM NOT THAT WISE,

YOUR GRACE.

TELL US...

HOW MANY OF THE WORTHY MEN

OF THIS CITY:

HAVE YOU TAKEN:

INTO YOUR CHAMBER?

I HAVE NOT COUNTED

MY LOVERS.

MORE THAN 20?

YOU WILL ANSWER:

THE QUESTION.

YES.

MORE THAN 100?

I DON'T KNOW.

YOU CANNOT REMEMBER THEM.

YET FOR EACH YOU PARADED YOUR

MILKY BREAST AND COPPER HAIR.

FOR EACH YOU LEARNED

HIS UNIQUE, FAVORITE TOUCH,

ENCHANTED HIM TO BELIEVE HE WAS

THE ONLY MAN IN THE UNIVERSE?

WHAT WAS THE AVERAGE NUMBER

IN A SINGLE WEEK?

I TOLD YOU,

I ENCHANTED NO ONE.

DID YOU FEIGN LOVE

WITH MORE THAN 10 WEEKLY?

OR WERE PERHAPS 5 OR 6

ENOUGH TO SATE YOU?

I NEVER FEIGNED LOVE.

THEN FOR WHA DID THEY PAY YOU?

FOR THE DREAM OF LOVE...

AS IT CANNOT EXIST IN THIS

WORLD THAT YOU'VE CREATED.

FOR THE HOPE:

THERE MIGHT EXIS

ON EARTH SOME CORNER

OF THIS PARADISE--

PARADISE?

WHEN 56,000 HAVE FALLEN,

YOU SAY THIS?

YOU WHO FILL YOUR HOME

WITH FEASTING AND DANCING

WHILE VENICE SUFFERS?

WHO CREATES:

A SUMPTUOUS WORLD

OF FLESH AND DEPRAVITY?

OF ORGIASTIC RITES

INVOKING THE DEVIL?

THE ONLY DEVILRY HERE

IS YOUR SPITE!

SILENCE!

HE IS JEALOUS OF WHA HE CANNOT HAVE!

YOU WILL NOT INTRUDE

INTO THE PROCEEDINGS.

I AM A SENATOR OF VENICE.

THE INQUISITION IS HERE

BY OUR CONSENT.

THIS IS:

AN ECCLESIASTICAL COURT.

YOU ARE HERE BY MY CONSENT.

THIS IS:

A PERSONAL VENDETTA.

YOU WILL ABIDE BY OUR RULES

OR BE REMOVED.

IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?

IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?

THE SENATOR:

SPEAKS THE TRUTH.

I WAS BEWITCHED:

BY THIS WOMAN.

IN MY WEAKNESS,

I FELL UNDER HER SPELL

TO PATHETIC RUIN.

IT IS ONLY BY THE GRACE OF

GOD THAT I STAND HERE TODAY.

I DID NOT SEEK YOUR LOVE.

BECAUSE I COULD NO PAY YOUR FEE.

NO?!

NO.

NO. I LOVED ANOTHER.

IN OTHER WORDS,

YOU CAST YOUR SPELL OVER

ALL WHO CROSS YOUR PATH

WHETHER YOU WANT THEM

OR NOT.

YOU COMPEL SACRED LOVE

TO GARNER RICHES.

WHAT IS THIS:

IF NOT WITCHCRAFT?

NO.

NO?!

DID YOU EVER GIVE YOURSELF

TO A MAN WHO COULD NOT PAY?

I GAVE MY HEAR WHERE RICHES--

ANSWER THE QUESTION!

I DID WHAT WAS:

NECESSARY TO LIVE!

DID YOU EVER GIVE YOURSELF

TO A MAN WHO COULD NOT PAY?

WHAT OTHER PROFESSION

WILL YOU ALLOW ME?

HOW SHALL I SURVIVE

IF I CANNOT MARRY?

YOU WILL ANSWER:

THE QUESTION!

WHY, WHEN YOU'RE DETERMINED

TO DAMN ME WHATEVER I SAY?

[MURMURING]

LOOK AT HER.

FEEL HER WRATH.

HER POWER.

SHE, WHO LURES THE NOBLE

FATHERS OF VENICE

FROM THEIR WIVES,

THEIR CHILDREN,

THEIR VERY ABILITY

TO LEAD THE REPUBLIC!

SHE AND HER KIND HAVE TURNED

GOD'S HAND AGAINST US!

YOUR GRACE, YOUR GRACE...

WE MUST DO OUR DUTY.

VERONICA FRANCO,

YOU HOVER AT THE BRINK

OF EXTERMINATION AND HELL.

YOU WILL RETURN:

TO THIS ROOM TOMORROW

TO HEAR:

GOD'S MERCIFUL JUDGMEN

AND, I HOPE, TO REPENT BEFORE

THAT JUDGMENT TAKES ITS COURSE.

REMOVE THE PRISONER.

[DOOR OPENS]

YOU MUST SAVE YOURSELF.

HOW?

CONFESS TO WHATEVER FOOLISHNESS

THEY PUT BEFORE YOU.

THAT I AM A WITCH?

WHAT DOES IT MATTER WHA YOU SAY TO THESE HYPOCRITES?

I WILL BE SAYING IT!

THERE IS NO HONOR

WITH FOOLS LIKE THESE.

GOD WILL FORGIVE YOU.

MARCO, IF I GIVE THEM

THAT LIE,

I GIVE THEM MY SOUL.

RENOUNCE EVERYTHING

I EVER WAS.

MY LOVE, MY WORDS,

MY HEART--

YES, BUT YOU WOULD LIVE.

AS SOMEONE ELSE.

I'VE LET YOU GO

TOO MANY TIMES.

I CAN'T DO IT AGAIN.

THERE IS NO CHOICE.

I WILL NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN.

[DOOR CLOSES]

[SOBBING]

[CANE THUMPS]

VERONICA FRANCO, YOU HAVE

BEEN DENOUNCED A SORCERESS.

EITHER:

CONFESS AND PLEAD MERCY

OR STAND:

TO RECEIVE MY JUDGMENT.

I WILL CONFESS,

YOUR GRACE.

[MURMURING]

THAT WILL PLEASE GOD.

PROCEED.

I CONFESS THAT AS A YOUNG GIRL

I LOVED A MAN:

WHO WOULD NOT MARRY ME

FOR WANT OF A DOWRY.

I CONFESS I HAD A MOTHER

WHO TAUGHT ME:

A DIFFERENT WAY OF LIFE.

ONE I RESISTED AT FIRST,

BUT LEARNED TO EMBRACE.

I CONFESS:

I BECAME A COURTESAN,

TRADED YEARNING FOR POWER,

WELCOMED MANY RATHER

THAN BE OWNED BY ONE.

YOUR GRACE, SHE DOES NO SPEAK TO THE CHARGE.

I CONFESS I EMBRACED

A WHORE'S FREEDOM

OVER A WIFE'S OBEDIENCE.

THIS IS NOT REPENTANCE.

YOUR GRACE,

WHAT AM I TO DO?

I MUST CONFESS MY EVIL

AS THE CHURCH INSTRUCTS.

THESE ARE MY SINS.

YOUR GRACE, HER MORTAL

SINS ARE NOT AT ISSUE.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes