Madame X Page #7

Disreputable or not,

I would wish for Dan Sullivan

what can never be his.

A fair and honest trial

before a jury of his peers.

Madame "X" appointed herself

his judge and his executioner.

Now, the defense attorney

comes before us on his

first case, young and eager,

son of a brilliant

and famous father.

And I'm sure

Governor Anderson is proud

of the resourceful fight

that Clayton Anderson Junior

has waged in this court room.

However, admiration

for the young man

or sympathy for his client

must not sway you.

I charge you to uphold the law

and to punish its violators.

Madame "X" is a murderess.

She's taken a life.

And on behalf of the people,

I must demand

her life in return.

(GAVEL POUNDING)

Mr. Anderson, are you

ready to make your

concluding statement?

Wait. There's something

I want to say.

You're out of order.

If you wish to make

a statement, you must be

sworn in, and take the stand.

Yes.

No, Madame, no. Your Honor,

may I have a recess

to talk with my client?

Itll be all right.

Don't worry.

No, you're not prepared

as a witness.

I know exactly

what I want to say.

Raise your right hand.

Place your left hand

on the Bible.

Do you solemnly swear that

the testimony you are about

to give before this court

is the truth, the whole truth

and nothing but the truth,

so help you God?

I do.

Please be seated.

Madam, do you want

to tell us what happened?

Madam.

You're a child, fighting alone

in a terrible darkness.

I would have left this earth

without explanation,

but you, you alone,

have made it impossible.

Over and over

he begged me to tell what

happened, and I never did.

I let him stand up here

in front of you without

a weapon in his hand.

Life had long ceased

to have meaning for me.

And I didn't think or care

what I was doing to him.

Forgive me. Forgive me.

I'm not dead, after all.

The dead don't weep

or feel such pain.

Child, don't fight any longer.

I killed Dan Sullivan.

He fished me

out of the sewers of Mexico.

He bought me dirt cheap.

A couple of aspirin,

a few bottles of whiskey,

and I killed him.

Why did you kill him?

He found out I once had a son,

a family, respectable family,

and a fine son.

They thought I was dead

more than 20 years,

and Sullivan was going to

tell my child that I was alive

and what I'd become.

I don't have much

to leave my son.

Only a lie that his mother

was clean and good.

Why did you leave your family?

I wasn't suitable.

I really wasn't.

I wonder why it took me

so long to see it?

I killed Dan Sullivan

to keep my son

from knowing about me.

I'm not sorry.

And if time were turned back,

I'd kill him again.

That's the truth, child.

The truth.

These are the most

important words I may

ever have to say,

and this is the most

important decision you

may ever have to make.

I stand between

a woman and death,

and you stand here with me.

There was a speech

I was going to make,

but I can't make it now.

Not after those simple,

heartbreaking words of hers.

Mr. Spalding has cautioned

you not to try Dan Sullivan

for his own murder.

Well, how can you

do otherwise?

He'd be alive if it weren't

for his own evil greed.

His sins finally

caught up with him,

and he reaped the whirlwind.

The prosecution

accuses my client

of breaking the law of God,

or did, before he

heard her story. Perhaps he

wouldn't charge that now.

For does the lioness

lose favor with God when

she fights for her cubs?

Does the mother bear,

who kills at the

mouth of the cave?

In all creation is there

the female of the species

who will not sacrifice

her own life to protect

the life she has conceived?

Dark and terrible years

lie between this woman

and her son,

but she protects him,

even now, with her life.

Her son will never know

how deeply he is loved.

She thinks he would be

ashamed of her.

I think he would kneel

and hold her to his heart.

The prosecution

asks for justice.

I would remind him

and you of the towering

words of Sophocles.

"There is a point at which

even justice is unjust."

Justice must be fair.

It must be merciful.

It must be understanding.

My client doesn't ask for her

life. She's ready to die,

knowing her son to be safe.

I ask it.

I give this woman's life

into your hands.

And I beg you

to return it to her.

JUDGE:
Ladies and gentlemen,

you have heard the evidence.

You will retire

to deliberate your verdict.

(GASPS)

Matron.

I must see her.

I can't tell you

how important it is.

I'll see what I can do,

Governor.

I'm beyond reason.

Holly drowned.

How can she still be alive?

May we be alone?

We'll wait outside.

You must be very quiet.

I know.

We're going to win.

Don't worry.

Did you do well in school?

Middling well.

Middling well.

I haven't heard

that expression

since my father died.

Where do you live?

In New York.

Alone?

(LAUGHS)

In a one-room apartment.

Let your son know

that you're alive.

Give him a chance to love you.

Do you have a girl?

Yes.

We're going to be

married soon.

You love her very much?

Very much.

The moments of love are

the only ones that matter.

The moments of love

illuminate and are gone.

Treasure them.

And when you're married,

live alone.

It's so important

to live alone.

And when you have a child,

get a little house.

A red-frame house

on a friendly street

with good neighbors

and lots of children.

Did you have a house

like that?

Almost.

I was once almost

a rich, rich woman.

Please let me call your son.

No.

But if I were your son,

I'd want to know.

Don't make decisions for him.

It's the only prerogative

of motherhood I still possess.

He's free of my sins.

Your son should be here.

You're here.

Yes.

Today, I've had a son.

And, oh, what a joy.

Dr. Evans! Dr. Evans!

The jury is ready

to come back.

You'll be needed in there.

You're going to win

this case, Son. I'm sure

you're going to win it.

It doesn't matter now.

Yes, it does.

More than you'll ever realize.

I don't know why,

but I loved her. From the

moment I saw her, I loved her.

I know.

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