De Sade Page #4

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What?

Crying?

Why?

For me?

Now you would cry for me?

Why?

You cry for yourself.

That's it. Because I reveal you to yourself.

Yes. You see in yourself the corruption

you thought was only in me...

...but is in all of us.

And you weep to see it.

No...

...I don't weep for you.

Your weakness...

...made you deserve

every punishment you received.

Nor for myself.

My strength...

...can bear whatever befalls me.

I weep...

For whom?

For Rene, who is innocent.

And who loves you, God help her.

What if...

...I changed?

You cannot change.

And your promises mean nothing.

The Devil owns you.

No, madame, that's something

you shall never understand.

It's not the Devil, madame.

It is our nature.

You say that, write it...

...and I don't understand what you mean.

You see everybody else in your own image.

I am trying to make you realize...

...that you cannot flay her pure soul...

...as you flay the wanton flesh of whores.

You still don't understand the enormity

of what you've done.

You've deserted a wife who loves you...

...you've abandoned your children

who love you...

...and who...

Who did you pervert

to serve your hellish plans?

Your wife's own sister! My flesh!

My daughter, Anne!

And you still ask me why I weep?

I beg you...

...give me...

...one...

...one chance.

I tell you, Louis. I tell you now.

You will never, never be free again.

You will stay here in this prison

for the rest of your life.

Look well on these walls

where you are now, Louis.

Because this is...

...where you're going to die.

Madame, I will change.

I will change!

I swear it!

I will change!

Uncle?

"Silence!"

Please, Uncle, no plays. Not now, please.

"I insist on silence!"

Please.

- Anne is dead.

- "Seize the prisoner."

No! No, damn you!

Take off those damn masks.

The farce is over!

"You may continue with the prosecution."

"We will prove beyond a doubt, my Lord...

"...that Louis Alphonse Donatien,

the Marquis de Sade, did willfully take...

"...the life of his sister-in-law,

Lady Anne-Prospere de Launay."

Life?

"First witness."

"Inspector Marais, what is your estimate

of the character of the accused?"

"He is evil, he is degenerate,

he is an animal to be put away."

But I had nothing to do with her death.

She died of the plague.

God, why do I bother to argue with you?

Uncle, please stop these damn plays.

"I have more witnesses.

"These three are aunts of the accused,

my own good sisters...

"...honorable abbesses, virtuous women,

who devoted themselves...

"...to caring for him as a child.

Will one of you speak in his behalf?"

"My nephew is evil, ungrateful."

No!

"My nephew is degenerate, an animal."

No!

"No, my nephew is worse

than any animal."

They're not my aunts, they're actresses.

This is a travesty.

Uncle, stop this.

"Can we then allow a wild animal...

"...to roam free

among the vulnerable human beings?

"This killer of a sweet, innocent girl..."

How dare you say I took her life,

her precious, precious life.

"You killed her."

We had planned...

... but she died of the plague.

There was nothing I could do.

"Speak your judgments."

"Put him away forever!"

"I have here a lettre de cachet

from the King...

"...empowering me to put

the Marquis de Sade in prison...

"...forever...

"...and forever!"

"Put him away forever!"

No!

Anne, tell them!

"He is my murderer."

"Behead him!"

What do you see?

What do you wish me to see?

What is the meaning of eight?

Eight is the sign of infinity.

The serpent swallowing its tail.

Why do you ask?

Can you tell me what this is?

It belonged to your mother.

You stole it from her.

You can see that?

It is very clear.

You were four years old.

You were being sent away

to live with a maiden aunt.

You take this although

your mother cherishes it.

Yes.

She cherished her jewels

more than she did me.

I was sold instead of them.

What is to come, gypsy?

A revolution will rend France...

...a bacchanalia of blood.

They will say that you are

one of those who caused it.

What will happen to me, gypsy?

You'll be put in an asylum.

You'll know pain and torment.

How long?

Twenty-eight years...

...Nephew.

You, always you.

Corrupter of my youth.

Author of my sins.

Nonsense, Nephew.

Am I a force of nature?

I don't know, Uncle, perhaps you are.

You yourself proclaimed it:

"Man is not seduced by evil.

"He is evil...

"...evil by nature."

You condemn me for corrupting

that which is already corrupt.

You were my teacher.

Did I teach you falsely?

In one thing, yes.

And that?

That's one's pleasure

could be taken by force.

It saddens me, Nephew, but I'm a saint.

You lack the capacity for pleasure.

It frightens you.

After the transport,

your soul begins to whimper.

You fear God's vengeance in the hereafter

and invite his mercy with a great show...

...of suffering here on earth.

If I am evil, you seduced me.

Initiated rather than seduced.

No, Nephew,

there was only one occasion...

...on which I was required to lay snares.

Demon! Bastard!

Liar! She never gave herself to you.

What if she had?

May I quote an eminent author?

"Love:
A disposition of the organs,

nothing more, an appetite."

Marquis de Sade.

You rob me of everything...

...even of hope for what might have been.

With her...

...I could...

I could've...

Could have what?

Been different.

Rene.

My husband.

I sorrow for the pain I've given you.

Perhaps someday,

you'll be able to understand me.

What life would I have had without you?

I was an ugly, stupid girl and...

...not much of a woman.

There were a few times...

...a few...

You have suffered.

At least I could share your fate

as your wife.

No one can take that from me.

We shall go to Paris

and you will regain your health.

We can't. My mother would

simply put you in the asylum again.

Perhaps she won't.

It's so cold here.

If only we could go to a warm place

for the winter.

Yes.

A warm place.

You mean to say you had a choice?

Then good and evil do exist.

And you chose evil.

Poor, damn Louis.

Why then...

...I have no answers.

None.

I can find no meaning to my life.

I cannot find my moment of reality

because it does not exist.

Not at all.

Not on the stage, not in the world.

There is no reality.

It's all in the mind.

And there's nothing.

What'll we burn when

all the furniture is gone?

Each other.

Go on! You're doing very well.

Very good!

Burn.

The illumination of my life has gone out.

Do you know what that means?

No, I don't suppose you do.

Well, it doesn't matter.

Bravo!

Come!

Let's put on a play.

Do as you will!

If not compelled, then why must I do

what desire dictates me?

Rene!

Rene!

Forgive me.

Marquis.

It is not my province to forgive.

No.

Nor mine to ask.

Have you been dreaming again?

More than that. Much, much more.

Trying to escape.

At least, the young Marquis was trying.

The young Marquis?

Indeed.

You must not judge by this.

Inside is a fit, young fellow...

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