Far from the Madding Crowd Page #14

116 EXT. BUDMOUTH WORKHOUSE - NIGHT 116

A grim, grey building, its iron gates forbidding in the

gloom.

FANNY reaches for the wall to steady herself, stumbles,

falls, lies there in the rain.

A light appears in a window. An alarm bell is rung...

117 INT. BEDROOM, EVERDENE FARM - NIGHT 117

BATHSHEBA lies on one of the bed, TROY on the other,

shirtless, smoking a cheroot. She watches his back. He stubs

out his cheroot. Unbearable tension.

118 INT. GREAT HALL, EVERDENE FARM - DAY 118

BATHSHEBA eats breakfast alone. TROY strides in.

TROY:

Could you let me have twenty

pounds?

BATHSHEBA:

What for?

TROY:

I need twenty pounds.

FFMC Shooting Script Sept 2013

72

BATHSHEBA:

If you continue to gamble, I will

lose the farm.

TROY:

It’s not for gambling. Do you have

the money or not?

BATHSHEBA:

That money is required for farm

expenses.

She returns to her breakfast. TROY looks dangerous.

TROY:

You’ve had your fun. Now don’t do

something you’ll regret.

BATHSHEBA:

I already have.

TROY:

What do you regret?

BATHSHEBA:

That our love is at an end.

TROY:

Well, all love ends at marriage.

BATHSHEBA:

I wish you wouldn’t talk like that.

TROY:

I believe you hate me.

BATHSHEBA:

I hate your vices.

TROY:

Then give me the twenty pounds and

perhaps we can be friends.

Stung, she holds her nerve -

BATHSHEBA:

The money is required for farm

expenses.

A direct challenge.

Then he stands and walks determinedly towards the study.

BATHSHEBA, enraged, follows.

119 INT. STUDY, EVERDENE FARM - CONTINUOUS 119

TROY strides towards the bureau.

FFMC Shooting Script Sept 2013

73

BATHSHEBA:

It’s for that woman, isn’t it?

Tell me her name!

He begins to rifle through the drawers, a thief now.

TROY:

I will not-

BATHSHEBA:

Is she married? -

TROY:

No -

BATHSHEBA:

Is she the one you spoke about, the

other woman? Who is she?

TROY:

The woman I love! The woman I

should have married instead of you!

(back to the drawers,

scrabbling for the money)

There, you’ve wormed it out of me,

I hope it makes you happy...

(He finds the money.)

And if you regret our marriage,

then you can be damn sure so do I.

BATHSHEBA:

But I don’t! I don’t regret it if

you still love me! I still love

you, Frank...

(Desperate, holding him)

Come to bed, let me try and please

you like I used to. I still love

you, Frank. Say you love me too!

Say it, Frank, and kiss me!

He regards her face with a look of appalling scorn, then

pushes her away from him.

TROY:

Bathsheba, please. Don’t be so

sentimental.

He pockets the money and goes.

120 EXT. CASTERBRIDGE ROAD - DAY 120

Glad to be free, glad to be making amends, TROY rides at

speed to the rendezvous.

FFMC Shooting Script Sept 2013

74

121 EXT. BRIDGE, BUDMOUTH - DAY 121

TROY waits anxiously at the appointed time for his rendezvous

with FANNY.

A rumble. Along the road comes a waggon bearing a COFFIN. New

pine, a pauper’s casket, a WORKHOUSE OFFICIAL driving. As a

matter of course, TROY removes his hat out of respect...

122 EXT. FIELDS, EVERDENE FARM - DAY 122

The cart continues on its way. In the distance, its

destination - the EVERDENE FARM.

123 EXT. YARD, EVERDENE FARM - DAY 123

GABRIEL and the WORKHOUSE OFFICIAL are in discussion as

BATHSHEBA approaches.

GABRIEL:

Well there must be some mistake.

WORKHOUSE OFFICIAL

No mistake, Mr Oak. This was Miss

Robbin’s last known abode.

GABRIEL:

No, you’ll have to take her to the

church.

BATHSHEBA:

Bring her inside.

GABRIEL:

Perhaps we might let her rest in

the coach-house, ma’am.

BATHSHEBA:

We’ll do no such thing. Fanny was

my uncle’s servant and we shall

treat her with respect. Bring her

inside please.

Pale, troubled, BATHSHEBA heads into the house.

GABRIEL climbs the waggon, removes the black cloth, and

starts-

On the lid he sees words written in chalk;

‘FANNY ROBBIN AND CHILD’

He glances towards BATHSHEBA, waiting at the doorway.

A moment’s thought. She can’t know. GABRIEL takes his

handkerchief and removes the words ‘AND CHILD’

FFMC Shooting Script Sept 2013

75

124 INT. STUDY, EVERDENE FARM - NIGHT 124

Surrounded by candles, resting on two benches, the coffin

sits in the solemn room. BATHSHEBA and LIDDY, with some

reverence, place flowers and branches around the plain

pauper’s coffin.

LIDDY:

Do you want me any longer ma’am?

BATHSHEBA:

No more tonight, Liddy.

LIDDY:

I’ll wait up if you like.

BATHSHEBA:

No, you go to bed.

(LIDDY stands)

Do you know what she died of,

Liddy?

LIDDY:

No, miss. There were rumours

but...no.

BATHSHEBA:

I see. Liddy, Fanny had a

sweetheart. Is that right?

LIDDY:

(LIDDY hesitates.)

Yes, miss. A soldier. A sergeant.

(An admission from Liddy.

And now she knows)

Please, come sit upstairs with me.

BATHSHEBA shakes her head - she is crying quietly

BATHSHEBA:

I seem to cry a great deal these

days. I never used to cry at all.

Good night Liddy.

And somewhat reluctantly, LIDDY goes, leaving BATHSHEBA

alone.

124A INT. STUDY, EVERDENE FARM - NIGHT 124A

Midnight. BATHSHEBA, pacing up and down.

She removes the boughs and flowers from the coffin lid.

She sees Fanny’s name, and the smudged chalk beneath. Her

worst fears...

She finds the nails that hold the rough lid down. A moment...

FFMC Shooting Script Sept 2013 76

Then she takes the poker from the fireplace, places it

beneath the lid, pushes.

She stumbles back. The coffin lies open in the darkness. Her

hands shaking, she reaches for a candle and walks towards the

coffin.

FANNY looks beautiful in the candle light. In her arms, a

bundle confirms BATHSHEBA’s suspicions. She takes the flowers

with which she was adorning the coffin, and now places them

on her rival’s body...

Suddenly -

TROY:

What?

BATHSHEBA stumbles backwards.

BATHSHEBA:

I must go.

TROY:

Who is it?

BATHSHEBA:

I can’t stay. Let me go, I want

air.

TROY:

Stay here!

Numb, dazed, TROY crosses and sees his beloved’s face. In her

arms, the bundle of white linen. He reaches for the linen,

reveals the face. A thunderbolt of shame and remorse.

BATHSHEBA:

Is it her?

TROY:

It is. A boy. I had a son. My son.

TROY crumples, tears forming in his eyes; shock and grief and

remorse.

TROY (CONT’D)

Forgive me...

And as BATHSHEBA looks on, he bends and kisses the lips of

his dead fiancee. It’s a kiss you might give to a sleeping

child, one of surpassing tenderness. BATHSHEBA is

heartbroken.

BATHSHEBA:

Frank. Don’t kiss them, I can’t

bear it. I love you more than she

did!

FFMC Shooting Script Sept 2013 77

TROY:

Bathsheba, this woman is more to me

dead than ever were or are or can

ever be. You are nothing to me now.

Nothing.

Heartbroken, BATHSHEBA staggers out -

125 EXT. FARMYARD, EVERDENE FARM - DAWN 125

The coffin is loaded onto a hearse.

TROY steps from the house. His farmer’s clothes have been

discarded in favour of his old uniform; the vivid scarlet

jacket. He carries a small suitcase and the sword. He looks

broken, haunted, a deeply changed man.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote