De Sade

---

Come. Quick!

Louis Alphonse Donatien,

the Marquis de Sade?

Dismount, sir.

Dismount, sir, or we fire!

Fire!

You.

Fellow.

Stop when I speak to you.

Ah, Louis.

You're here.

Good.

Uncle?

None else, Nephew.

Escaped again, have you?

Yes, I hope so.

Clever lad!

What are you doing in here, Uncle?

Waiting for you, Nephew.

For me? But you couldn't possibly

have known I was coming tonight.

I hoped.

Who was that old man I saw in the corridor

just a few moments ago?

A servant.

I don't recall having seen him before.

Well, you know how...

...servants come and go.

I'll discharge him.

Do that, Nephew.

But, for now, we're about to start.

Start what?

A play! Entertainment!

Diversion! Pleasure!

Which you so uniquely enjoy.

I doubt there'll be time for that.

Of course you have time.

When did you ever not have time

for pleasure?

Perhaps a moment then, Uncle.

We know your weakness, eh, Nephew?

Well, not much of an audience

for your play, Uncle.

All the audience we need, Nephew.

Scene:
The Montreuil Estate, outside Paris.

Characters:

The Count and Countess de Sade...

...your worshipped parents.

And Monsieur and Madame De Montreuil...

...your benevolent parents-in-law to be.

Occasion:
The arrangement

of a marriage contract...

...between the Marquis de Sade...

...and their daughter,

Lady Rene de Montreuil.

"But first we must set the record right,

as it were!"

- "Silence!"

- "My dear."

- "We will not haggle."

- "No, we will not haggle."

"We never haggle!"

"We will board the young couple

for the first three years of their..."

- "Seven years!"

- "Four years."

- "Six."

- "Five years."

- "Five years."

- "Five years."

"And a living allowance."

"Of say, 1,000 per annum."

- "5,000."

- "2..."

"3,000 crowns."

- "Pounds."

- "Pounds?"

"Very well, then.

"L3,000."

"For our own part, then,

we will dress the bride...

"...and the bridegroom and their party

and provide a two...

"Let's say a four-horse carriage...

"...if I have to mortgage the remainder

of your properties to do so...

"...for thus will I ally our families

to the Montreuil fortune."

"But first we must set the record right,

as it were.

"Is it not, in fact, true that your son,

the Marquis, is unmarried because of...

- "...his unsavory rep..."

- "I never!"

"Unsavory reputation! It is well known..."

- "Silence!"

- "My love."

"We are prepared to overlook

our prospective son-in-law's...

"...youthful peccadilloes."

One moment.

"I am prepared to overlook anything

to buy my family such a royal connection."

- "We, in turn..."

- Stop!

"...will add to our end of the dowry

the jewelry...

"...in my wife's collection.

- "Never!"

- "Yes, my dear."

"No, never! No, you can't do that!"

This is ludicrous!

"My dear!"

Stop it!

I said, "Stop it!"

This is ludicrous!

The actual negotiations

were nothing like this farce.

- They're prepared to see you shortly, sir.

- What?

Madame de Montreuil said

that they would see you shortly, sir.

If you will wait.

"I sit and I wait here

"By day and by night

"Where is he, when will he ever come?

"I sigh to the sunbeam

"And moonlight

"Where is he, when will he ever come?

"I have waited so by truth now

"My true love should come

"Where is he, when will he ever come?

"Through the waiting, someday

"He surely will come

"Where is he, when will he ever come?"

Mademoiselle.

My son.

Good. You've arrived just in time.

Monsieur, we're ready to sign the contract.

You haven't met Monsieur Marais,

our prefect of Police.

Who has kindly consented

to act as a witness to the signatures.

- Monsieur.

- My Lord.

Well, I'm ready.

And we are ready, too, monsieur.

What's the matter, my Son?

Where is she?

I beg your pardon?

Your daughter, the one I mean to marry.

This is she.

But this isn't...

Have you no other daughter?

Madame, have you no other daughter?

My daughter Anne is not involved.

But you don't understand.

This is not the one. This is not she.

Monsieur, the contract was signed

between yourself and the Lady Rene...

...who loves you dearly.

- It must be torn up and redone.

- Outrageous!

Are you mad?

Monsieur, your son has signed

a binding contract.

No, madame, it is not.

I warn you, my Son, you have no choice.

You must do as you are told, Son.

Madame, it's impossible...

No!

"My dear Son...

"I beg that you reconsider and

return immediately by the post chaise...

"...that I have hired for your return trip.

"I have requested your uncle, the Abb,

to write to Madame de Montreuil...

"...stating that you left for Avignon

to prepare a house for your bride to be...

"...but unfortunately,

you have been delayed there by illness.

- "I've assured Madame..."

- Never mind the letter!

"I have assured Madame...

"...that you are in bed

with a serious attack of fever."

What a fever to be in bed with.

There's more.

There's always more.

"Do you not appreciate, Son,

that a marriage contract is a legal...

"...and enforceable document...

"...and the penalty for its breach

is your imprisonment?

"A reprisal, the dear madame assures me,

she will use without hesitation.

"I beg that you reconsider

and return immediately to your betrothed...

"...who is most eager for your return."

Does the thought of your blushing bride

hasten your departure, my lover?

I hasten because of the prison sentence

that b*tch mother of hers...

...would be only too happy

to impose on me.

"In anticipation of your acquiescence,

I remain your most loving...

"...and devoted father."

- That merde!

- What did you say, Louis?

I said "merde."

Merde, my sweet Laura.

Behold the maiden waiting for her

immolation to the pagan god.

Rene.

- Monsieur, my husband.

- That is correct. I am your husband.

Yes.

You must regard me as

a fellow human being. I won't devour you.

No.

I've come to give you pleasure...

...not rend you limb from limb.

I know.

Then cease your trembling.

You may look at me.

You are permitted to regard

the monster's face.

Voil!

Now...

...a smile.

Enchanting.

Now a kiss.

If I wished to kiss a statue,

I'd visit a museum.

Relax.

I will perform my duty.

I will yield to you your marriage rights.

No.

No, sweet wife.

Take a moment...

...let your fervor moderate...

...or it might overwhelm me.

Enough!

Don't you ever, ever say, "Enough," to me.

I paid for you.

You understand that? I paid for you.

I pay for your pleasure. And I'll have it.

Do as I say...

...as I need...

...or I'll punish you.

That is to say, if such pleasure

can be considered punishment.

- But it hurts.

- Of course it hurts.

But that's what gives me pleasure.

And that...

...is what's important.

Self.

Nature speaks to self...

...only.

You have your nature...

...and I have mine.

You shall do as I want.

Seize him!

Come on.

Marquis de Sade.

I arrest you for vile excesses

committed with these innocent girls.

Innocent?

These whores?

Innocent?

My dear Marais, one has only to look.

Take him out.

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