Far from the Madding Crowd Page #10

BATHSHEBA:

Please!

TROY:

What angers you exactly? What I

said, or the way I said it?

BATHSHEBA:

Neither...both! I won’t allow

strangers to be impudent, even in

praise.

TROY:

Even if it’s the truth? You must

know. There must be some man who

tells you that you’re beautiful.

BATHSHEBA:

Not to my face, not exactly

TROY:

But there must be someone, who

kisses you and tells you

BATHSHEBA:

I’ve never been kissed.

(The admission surprises

both of them. They stop.)

Why couldn’t you have just passed

by and said nothing?

TROY:

Half the pleasure of a feeling lies

in being able to express it. Do you

forgive me.

FFMC Shooting Script Sept 2013

51

BATHSHEBA:

I do not!

TROY:

Why?

BATHSHEBA:

Because...the things you say.

TROY:

I said you were beautiful and I’ll

say it again. The most beautiful

face I ever saw.

BATHSHEBA:

That’s simply not true

TROY:

But you’ve never seen yourself

through a man’s eyes

BATHSHEBA:

Of course not -

TROY:

-you don’t know what it’s like.

BATHSHEBA:

What is it like?

TROY:

Like not being able to think, or

hear, or look in any direction.

Except one.

BATHSHEBA glances to where the WORKERS and GABRIEL, are

staring.

BATHSHEBA:

I hope you fight as well as you

speak.

TROY:

Better. Meet me tomorrow, eight

o’clock and I’ll show you.

A pause.

BATHSHEBA:

I can’t.

TROY:

You don’t want to?

BATHSHEBA:

Yes, but

FFMC Shooting Script Sept 2013 52

TROY:

Then you must.

BATHSHEBA:

I mustn’t. I can’t tell you why,

but I mustn’t...

TROY:

But you could. Nobody would know.

BATHSHEBA:

Then I must bring Liddy...

TROY:

Now why would you want to do that?

BATHSHEBA:

Please. Go now.

TROY:

Tomorrow night. Eight o’clock. The

hollow in the ferns.

He turns and walks casually away, leaving BATHSHEBA flushed

and breathless.

79 INT. BEDROOM, EVERDENE FARM - DAY 79

BATHSHEBA attempts to read. But her mind is elsewhere.

Exasperated, she puts down the book. Glances at the clock.

Picks up the book. Should she go? And -

80 INT. HALLWAY, EVERDENE FARM - LATE AFTERNOON 80

If she goes, is she dressed right? She assesses herself in

the mirror. She wears her finest summer dress, pulling the

material against her body. She looks exquisite.

81 EXT. MEADOW, WEATHERBURY FARM - LATE AFTERNOON 81

And now she’s hurrying through the meadow towards her

rendezvous, flushed in anticipation -

82 EXT. THE HOLLOW IN THE FERNS - LATE AFTERNOON 82

An uncultivated tract of land forms a natural amphitheatre,

at the base of which stands a smudge of scarlet.

TROY, waiting.

BATHSHEBA watches him a moment, breathless. She should leave,

immediately.

But he sees her, and smiles.

FFMC Shooting Script Sept 2013

53

83 EXT. THE HOLLOW IN THE FERNS - EVENING 83

An exquisite evening, sultry and sensual. TROY is giving his

lesson, a fearsome looking sword glinting in his hand.

The sword exercise is a series of lethal looking slashes and

thrusts, very precise. TROY narrates as he demonstrates.

TROY:

Four right and left cuts, four

right and left thrusts.

(The sword hisses through

the air. BATHSHEBA

watches, entranced.)

Cut one is as sowing corn, two as

if hedging. Three as if reaping,

four as if threshing...Do you trust

me?

BATHSHEBA:

I do.

TROY:

(He removes his jacket.)

Now. You are my enemy, with this

exception; I shall miss you every

time by a hair’s breadth...

(His hand on her waist, he

positions her as if for a

dance.)

I give you my word as a soldier, I

will not harm you. The sword is

blunt, but you must not flinch.

BATHSHEBA:

I’ll try not to.

TROY:

(He readies himself)

Very well. Let’s begin.

And suddenly the air is filled with the swash of the blade,

glinting in the sun’s low rays as TROY repeats the exercise,

the blade passing thrillingly close to BATHSHEBA’s body.

And then the display is over. TROY is sweating and BATHSHEBA

too is exhilarated.

BATHSHEBA:

Is it over?

TROY:

Yes. Except

And he raises the point of the sword once more to her cheek.

A flick of the wrist, and a lock of hair falls.

FFMC Shooting Script Sept 2013

54

BATHSHEBA:

How did you...how could you cut my

hair?

TROY:

This sword could skin you alive.

BATHSHEBA:

You lied! You told me I was safe!

TROY:

And you were, entirely safe. I gave

you my word.

(He steps closer.)

Now, I will take this -

-the lock of dark hair lies on her breast. Instinctively

BATHSHEBA turns her face up towards him, and he takes her

face in his hands.

Her first kiss has a startling passion, like nothing she has

ever experienced before. His hand, too, is between her legs.

She gasps.

And then, with a coolness that’s almost callous, he simply

walks away, leaving BATHSHEBA breathless.

84 EXT. MEADOW, WEATHERBURY FARM - NIGHT 84

And as night falls, she walks slowly home, transformed. The

night is warm, it has a sensuality to it. Something has

changed.

85 INT. BEDROOM, EVERDENE FARM - LATE AFTERNOON 85

BATHSHEBA dresses for her rendezvous. There is no hesitation

this time. She stands...

86 EXT. EVERDENE FARM - LATE AFTERNOON 86

-and hurries through the courtyard towards her next

rendezvous with TROY. When -

GABRIEL:

Miss Everdene.

(she stops - caught)

Perhaps I could walk with you.

FFMC Shooting Script Sept 2013

55

87 EXT. YARD, EVERDENE FARM - DUSK 87

BATHSHEBA and GABRIEL walk side by side in silence in the

warmth of the summer evening. But BATHSHEBA is on edge, keen

to get away.

BATHSHEBA:

I’m quite happy to walk by myself.

GABRIEL:

I’ll walk with you.

They walk a little further.

BATHSHEBA:

Still, perhaps I’ll say goodnight

GABRIEL:

You should have nothing to do with

him. He’s not good enough for you.

BATHSHEBA:

Why ever not? He’s perfectly

honourable, perfectly decent-

GABRIEL:

That’s not what I believe.

BATHSHEBA:

Why, what have you heard? Tell me!

(And he could. He knows.

But he hesitates.)

You see, it’s all rumours,

prejudice, simply because he’s a

soldier -

GABRIEL:

I like soldiers, but not this one.

I believe him to have no conscience

at all. Stay clear. Don’t listen to

him, don’t believe him. Get rid of

him.

BATHSHEBA:

And why should you care?

A moment. They both know.

GABRIEL:

I’m not such a fool as to imagine I

might stand a chance now that you

are so...above me. But

(A deep breath; this is

hard.)

Mr Boldwood loves you. You would be

safe in his hands.

FFMC Shooting Script Sept 2013

56

BATHSHEBA:

You want me to be ‘safe’?

A beat. It pains him to say it, but -

GABRIEL:

Yes, I do.

A long moment. BATHSHEBA is touched, but also surprised by

her own reaction. She reaches for indignation instead.

BATHSHEBA:

Then I think it might be best for

both of us if you leave this farm

immediately.

But GABRIEL starts to laugh.

GABRIEL:

This is the second time you’ve

pretended to dismiss me

BATHSHEBA:

Pretended! -

GABRIEL:

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