Marie Antoinette Page #6

Instead...

Listen.

The village is waking.

I must let you go.

Goodbye.

Good night...

...or if you wish, good morning.

I shall never say goodbye.

Antoinette.

- Antoinette, where have you been?

- Threse.

The most wonderful thing has happened.

Come with me and I'll tell you...

- Haven't you heard?

- Heard what?

The king. He's dying.

- Dying?

- Yes. Smallpox.

He's lost consciousness.

See?

Think what it means.

You'll be queen.

The queen of France.

Queen of France.

They say he's dying.

That candle.

When it's put out

I shall be king of France.

All these papers...

So much to think

of even before he's dead.

I suppose I shouldn't have spoken

to him as I did.

He must have been ill then.

Do you suppose what I said

made him worse?

But of course not.

Oh, I forgot...

...I haven't told you.

Would you like to hear what I said?

Not now, do you mind?

Very well.

I told him I'd be king someday.

Now it's going to happen.

I don't want to be king.

People expect so much of a king.

Nothing comes easily to me.

At least they can't send you back

to Austria.

I'm sorry, Louis.

I'm afraid I wasn't listening.

I say, they can't send you back

to Austria.

Well, it's kind of you to think of that.

It can hardly matter to you, can it?

I suppose you've always

thought of me as a...

Well, a symbol, the dauphine of France,

never as a person, a woman.

I didn't think of you at all, at first.

I didn't like the marriage...

...but I grew to like you.

To like me, yes.

There's something I should tell you.

I couldn't speak until I was sure.

We can be one, indeed, now.

Not only as king and queen,

but as husband and wife.

That's what I was trying

to tell the king.

I'm not much good at talking,

but I care very much.

I really don't know

how I should get on without you.

Louis...

...something has happened.

I must tell you.

The drums have stopped.

You are king of France.

Sire, may I be the first to say it.

The king is dead, long live the king.

Long live the king.

Long live the king.

Long live the king.

Long live the king.

Long live the king.

Long live the king.

Long live the king.

Your Majesty.

How solemn you are.

Do I shock you?

I should be awed or sad,

I know, but I'm not.

I'm happy. Happy.

You see, I've thought it all out

very carefully.

If I must be queen,

I shall be able to do anything I want.

I shall never let you go. Never.

- But, my dear...

- Do you know little Trianon?

It's a quite small little palace,

very secluded and very beautiful.

It's to be my very own.

And every day I shall come there

and wait for you.

But you must promise never

to let anything keep you from me.

Never to be late.

Because every single moment

will be precious...

...and there will be so few

even as it is.

Dearest, oh, you are grave.

Oh, I love you so.

But you are queen of France.

- What could I possible bring you but...?

- Happiness.

Even a queen wants that,

more than anything in the world.

Oh, my dear, my dear,

because of you I am strong...

...and certain and radiant.

And beautiful.

So beautiful it shames praise.

Then you can never leave me,

of course.

With you, I'll be everything

I meant to be.

Serious and helpful,

and a good queen.

Oh, my darling.

My mad, reckless,

adored little darling.

You know I'd give my life

to serve you.

But you must live openly, without fear,

without reproach, in sight of all.

I once thought if I were queen

I'd be so happy.

To be applauded

and adored and obeyed.

I don't want it now.

I just want to be free

to be with you...

...to love you.

I cannot wear my crown

upon my heart.

Oh, my dear.

You'll find your happiness

in the love of your people.

And nothing, nothing must stand

between you and their love.

Neither your heart, nor mine.

And if I stayed...

Oh, Marie.

Marie, I couldn't share your destiny

except to your own hurt.

And that, I cannot do.

My darling...

...what are you trying to say?

Where would you go?

To America.

When?

Tonight.

No, no.

Not tonight.

Not tonight.

But...

...I hardly know you.

You see, I thought

I would discover you day by day.

Your childhood, your youth,

all the little things...

...that would be so important to me.

- I couldn't live.

- Oh, my love, my darling.

It can't end like this.

Surely I might see you sometimes,

not often.

- I'd ask so little, so very little.

- Marie, Marie.

When I'm gone you'll be glad...

...that I didn't stand in the path

of your destiny...

...making you less

than you were meant to be.

And that other kingdom, the love

and the youth and the happiness...

...we might have had, what of that?

We shall dream of it more tenderly

because we didn't destroy it.

Shall I never see you again?

If you need me, I shall come to you.

I shall always need you.

And if I should ask you,

"Was it well done?"

You'll tell me, "It was well done."

Take me in your arms again.

Let me have that memory.

When I lose heart to go on...

...I shall close my eyes...

...feel your arms about me.

I shall know that I'm in your thoughts,

that you're loving me.

Always.

Always, my dear.

Giving me strength to live.

Goodbye, my love.

One hundred and one guns will announce

the birth of a son and heir...

...21 guns,

the birth of a daughter.

Why, this is barbarous.

Must the queen's child be born

in public?

Dr. Franklin, a French monarch

belongs to the public.

He must be born, he must live,

and he must die in public.

I was right here, in this very chair...

...when her first child,

the little Princess Threse, was born.

- Let's hope this one will be a boy.

- Oh, yes.

We present to you Louis Charles,

dauphin of France and of Bourbon...

...duke of Normandy...

...most Christian prince of Navarre,

count of Burgundy...

...lord of the Dauphin,

of Montmorency...

And to what is your child heir?

To oppression and slavery.

He will toil as you have toiled,

in famine and fear.

He will plow the field in the sweat

of his brow...

... and bring its food to those

who neither toil nor reap.

You furrow the soil in the heat of the day

but it isn't yours. It's never been yours.

Why, you work like rats

in the bowels of the earth.

For whom? A king, this one a drone.

And a queen, oh, a dazzling queen

who came from afar...

... hating the people of France.

Throwing its gold away,

the minted drops of your blood.

Will you not listen?

Will you not rise?

Will you not demand the abolition

of the aristocracy and its privileges?

Is there no fire in your hearts?

No fight in your fists?

Liberty. Equality. Fraternity.

People of France, demand it.

The foreigner! The foreigner!

They're throwing stones.

Why are they angry with you?

They're unhappy, dear.

But it's not your fault.

Perhaps not, darling.

But there are things

they don't understand...

...and things they don't forget.

- My dear, did you have a nice ride?

- Louis.

I've been looking through

some old papers.

Louis, people threw stones

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