Kean Page #7

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with other men.

First put out this light,

and then this other.

Am I mistaken or is he dedicating it

to us? - You're surprised?

But once I've put out thy light,

I cannot give thee vital growth again.

A kiss.

One more.

And I will kill thee,

and love thee after.

One more...

Shut your eyes!

...and this the last:

O! So sweet was ne'er so fatal.

Rest so...

in death.

Othello strangles Desdemona

with the proof of her crime.

A handkerchief

of exceptional proportions...

It's not a handkerchief,

it's a shawl.

My wife's right:
it's a shawl

of veil. I've one like it too.

He who strikes

is loved by heaven!

May I ask the gift

of your shawl? - O... what an idea!

Will you come to bed, my lord?

Have you pray'd to-night,

Desdemona?

Come to bed!

Are you insane?

Have you pray'd to-night?

- Ay, my lord.

They've changed

the theater into a salon, those ones.

I would not kill thy unprepared spirit.

Then

"Heaven have mercy on me!

Heaven have mercy on me!"

Mercy on me!

Heaven have mercy on me!

I love you! I love you! I love you!

It's clear!

Flippant! You don't love me!

And this is not the time for lies!

"Heaven have mercy on me!"

that's what you should be saying

at this fatal moment!

That's how to act!

Now he changes the text, too.

Go on!

Why that blood in your eyes?

Why that blood in your eyes?

Why that blood in your eyes?

- I can't go on.

What blood!

Why that blood in your eyes?

Kill me! Kill me! Kill me!

It's becoming a comedy!

Enough!

Yes, enough! Enough!

Enough! Enough!

Kill me! Strangle me!

Won't you ever kill her?

Why are they doing this to me?

- Who?

Silence!

May I pray Your Highness

to be silent?

Where do you think you are?

At court? In a salon?

Outside you're prince,

but in here I'm king. King!

This isn't a game!

This is work for us!

And the work of others is the unique

thing the lazy should respect!

Enough, Kean!

Why ruin yourself?

And if I enjoy ruining myself?

- Imbecile!

To the most beautiful!

Do you want to be Desdemona,

madam?

You ham!

- Who spoke?

Mewill! Beware, beware. Princes

can still intimidate me,

but with baronets I'm a lion!

Stop your mouth or I'll smash it!

Everyone's against me, eh?

You come every night and

scream "Bravo!" and throw me flowers!

I'd almost come to believe

you loved me!

Whom were you applauding? Eh?

Whom were you applauding?

Othello, perhaps?

That bloody madman? Hah!

No, you applauded Kean,

your great, dear, national Kean!

Well, look at your Kean!

The man!

No applause? Strange!

You love only the false, you!

Close the theater!

Kean is dead prematurely!

Quiet, murderers!

It's you who finished it!

Making a boy into a monster!

So, perfect.

Calm! Silence!

What good is it to whistle?

There's no one on stage. No one.

I?

No, I don't count. I'm pretending.

To entertain you,

ladies and gentlemen.

To entertain you.

Curtain, curtain!

Go, go, go!

Gentlemen, gentlemen, let me talk!

The show is suspended.

Kean, the great Kean,

the sublime Kean, the irreplaceable

has gone crazy.

He's insane.

They massacred him.

Poor Kean!

They won't let Mr. Kean

get away with it.

I think...

- What do you think of this ham?

...that despite everything...

- Yes?

...it's been a rather

enjoyable evening.

The whole night sleepless!

In other words, I'm the director of

the theater! I'll go wake him up!

I'm not responsible

for what might happen!

Then he's truly insane?

- Enough to be locked up.

What type of madness is it?

- Frenzy.

The symptoms? - He's punching!

- Punching what? - Everything. Right?

We'll wait till he wakes up!

My theater!

- Don't scream!

I had to see police

in my theater!

Go open the windows.

I'll try to wake him.

Mr. Kean! Master!

The best bed I've ever

slept in.

What time is it?

- 10:
00.

And this is your sun?

Better mine, on painted canvas.

What's new?

- That you're very unwell.

So says the doctor.

- Ah, yes? He saw me?

No, he saw me,

but it's the same.

He ordered you not be moved

until the crisis is over. - Really?

Either that or go to jail!

No one gets less than ten years

for lese majesty.

Plus what the judge'll give you

for the jeweller's complaint.

The constable and police

are waiting outside.

Why?

- To know if you're sane or insane.

It's best to stay insane,

you're saying, eh?

For a few days, then you ask

mercy. - You're mistaken.

If I turn back,

I'll do consciously

what yesterday I did blindly.

- You'd do it again? - Yes.

It's not enough for you, the harm

to that poor girl?

Anna! Where is she? - Ah, I warn you

I'm ready to do anything

to prevent you

getting to her.

Anna!

- The countess.

She's here. - Anna?

- No, the other one. Her, her...

Elena! What'll I tell her?

- Have her come in.

Please. - Elena, you!

You, despite all the risk!

You've forgiven me?

A woman always forgives

follies done for her.

Let me look at you: you're pale,

beautiful! I'm happy to look at you.

I confess that I hesitate long,

but our common danger...

Common? - Oh, Kean! Flee!

A horrible trial threatens you!

Only in France of Belgium

will you be safe.

I? flee?

You don't know me, Elena.

You forget that another name

will be pronounced in court.

True! You're compromised, too.

The shawl you left with me...

- Yes? - The prince knows its yours!

So?

- Let's flee together, Elena!

That's not possible!

- Why? The carriage is ready!

O, Kean! - Yes, Elena.

- But Kean... - What do you fear?

O, Kean!

- Yes.

My honor.

My husband would die from it.

Well, me or him, it's worth

saving the younger.

My babies, Kean.

- Babies? You don't have any!

I swore to have some.

- To whom?

To my husband, as God is witness.

- God took no note of it.

He's interested in conservation of

the species, not in a particular family.

Kean! I've loved you

to the point of adultery,

don't ask me too add

infanticide!

In one word, you refuse.

- To refuse... to accept...

It's anguish to choose.

If you must ruin me, stun me first,

make me drunk with words,

prove to me

that I'm the universe for you

and that you'll be

my everything! My everything...

Brava!

- What did you say?

Come on,

weren't you expecting my line?

How dare you?

- Elena, the comedy is ended!

Want to recite a soliloquy now?

Take me away!

- Okay, we're ready!

Here we go!

- O no, stop!

What now?

- We're leaving? - Certainly!

You've no regrets?

- I, no. You?

Where will we go? Rome, Madrid, Paris?

- Amsterdam.

I don't like Amsterdam.

- Me neither. Patience...

So choose your place.

On the gallows, in prison,

to the ends of the earth if you want!

My God!

Well!

It must be beautiful, real passion.

- Eh, right. It must be very beautiful.

Up to you, Elena. This is what

you came for, no?

And good luck!

Good luck? - Yes. You have still

to play your best scene.

Which scene?

- With the Prince of Wales.

The Prince of Wales!

- Like in comedies, see?

Have him wait a moment.

Come!

Highness...

Don't you think it'd be inconvenient

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