Moderato cantabile Page #2

---

So he came back.

He came back,

and back again.

And one day he stopped.

That was it.

And it happened precisely in this town.

It's hard to believe.

It started between them

like all stories do.

And then? Then?

Then, I don't think anyone can tell.

Look, summer's almost here.

- No.

- Yes, it is.

No. Summer never comes in this region.

It's always windy.

Have you been living here long?

One year.

For me it's been eight years.

- Since you got married?

- Yes.

If I were you, I'd leave.

I'd move to a city without trees,

without wind.

There's always wind here.

Except for two or three days a year.

Most birds here are seagulls

found exhausted after a storm.

And after the storm

they scream

as if they'd been slaughtered.

On the estuary.

They prevent you sleeping.

No.

I'd leave this place.

If I were you I'd leave.

The first time I saw you

was last year at the end of May.

You were having a party

for the staff, as happens every year.

You were looking at us with kindness...

and indifference.

You were resting against a large piano.

You were wearing a black dress

and had a magnolia between your breasts.

You were looking out at the park,

waiting for us to leave.

You wouldn't stop crushing that flower.

My name is Chauvin.

I must go home.

Can I meet you again?

That won't be easy.

I have a very fixed schedule.

But before going

I would have liked to know

one last detail,

even if you're not too sure.

Why did he finally kill her?

I don't know. That, I don't know.

But what you do reckon?

I think she asked him to kill her.

He didn't have any choice.

What's up?

I don't know.

My little darling.

- Can we go again?

- Where?

- Over there.

- Perhaps.

I'd like that.

I told my friend you were going to

buy me a red boat with an engine.

- Did you hear me?

- Yes, I heard you.

A red boat with an engine.

Look at that!

Look how tall you are now.

You've grown up a lot.

It's good.

Take off the handcuffs.

Come closer. Come on!

Do you recognise this?

How were you positioned?

Lie down as you did then.

Mr Chauvin...

Aren't you going to Bordeaux tonight?

No, not tonight.

I'm not used to not being at home

at this time of day.

What's with me? What's with me today?

- Everyone in town will know you and I...

- Everyone already does.

I went past your house last night.

The night was bright,

so I could see your garden clearly.

I stayed there a long time.

At the first floor on the right-hand side

two windows were still lit up.

It's my bedroom.

I couldn't sleep.

Neither could I.

I promised myself I'd stop coming.

And here I am.

I promised myself

I'd stop seeing you too.

I feel tired.

Tired...

like never before.

You said "Like never before".

Yes.

So you promised to never come again?

I promised myself I'd try.

It's mainly

because of that murder, you see.

Did you read the morning paper?

Yes.

- So you know...

- That you made it all up?

Not all of it.

I always knew,

always, all those years,

in the night, during the day...

I've kept thinking that everything,

everything is possible.

Please...

I'd like to know a little more about it.

Even if you're not too sure about things.

Even if you have to make it up.

You know...

They used to meet in an abandoned house.

By the sea.

Really?

It's sheltered from the wind

and it's warm there in summer.

The first time they met

it was a very hot summer.

Towards the end he quit his job.

They'd meet almost every day.

That house felt like their own.

They didn't know before going there

that it would be the end so soon.

No, they didn't know.

Sorry.

Do you like

other people's stories as much?

Yes.

You have no idea.

How about your own story?

Same thing.

If someone told it to me.

So?

The time came that,

when looking at her,

he didn't feel quite the same way.

To him she had ceased to be beautiful,

young...

Old, or dead...

I think it only happened very recently

that he wanted her dead.

You tell stories so well.

STRANGLED BY HER LOVER

It was with him that...

It was with him...

that she understood what she really was.

For instance...

A b*tch.

Time came when he understood

that he was not able

to touch her anywhere...

But here, right?

Here, yes.

I want you to go.

The sonatina.

Diabelli's lovely sonatina.

Play it.

What's the measure

for that lovely sonatina?

Tell us.

How many beats in a measure?

Three beats? Four beats? Tell me.

Moderate and melodic.

He must be doing it on purpose.

Four beats.

Repeat.

I'm waiting.

- Maybe he didn't hear you.

- He heard perfectly.

You'll never accept

that he's doing it on purpose.

My darling, you know the answer.

- Four beats.

- See? He knew it.

Maybe he'd forgotten it.

One day he'll know it.

Even if he doesn't want it,

he'll just know it.

You should be ashamed, Mrs Desbardes.

I hear that a lot.

Warm-ups.

Ten minutes.

First in C major.

That will teach you to listen.

Again.

I said for ten minutes.

Again.

Why?

I can't believe this.

Because I said so.

And insolent, to top it all!

In G major. Three times, go on.

Didn't you hear? I said three times.

Did you hear, my darling?

I'm sure you did.

Strange how children

can make you become wicked.

Good for his character and his fingers.

Right.

You know, I'm not sure

I can continue teaching him.

I'll explain to him that he must obey.

But you say that every time.

There's nothing to explain.

The choice isn't up to him.

That's called education.

Now play the sonatina.

One, two, three, four...

Let's go.

What happens to those deer?

They're caught in very large nets

and taken to other forests.

But where do they come from?

I've told you before.

I tell you every time we come.

- Tell me again.

- So this is how it goes...

The deer come from a different region.

They all cross the forest

on the same night.

All together on the same night.

- Where do they come from?

- From over there, far away.

- And where do they go?

- To Germany, a country very far away.

- Why?

- That, no one knows.

If they travel at night,

they must be afraid of something.

Are you sure no one knows why?

I'd like you to tell me.

No one knows. I can't tell you.

They're not taken to other forests!

They're killed but you won't tell me!

I swear it's not that.

I swear.

Pierre...

Pierre!

Let's go home, my darling.

Look, we're lost.

Ah, yes, we are!

I'm late.

Those piano lessons take for ever.

Afterwards we went to the Arcy forest.

- Is everything all right?

- Yes, madam.

A glass of wine.

Please.

Thank you.

So we were saying...

Thank you.

You came back.

I think I'm in love with you.

That's why.

But I'm never sure about what I say.

I'm never sure of anything.

Maybe he wanted to kill her

very early on.

From the moment he first saw her.

We may have been wrong.

Perhaps...

before meeting you...

did I ignore who I was?

Go away.

I think long periods of happiness

aren't for me.

It suits me more

to spend very short lengths of time

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes