Original Sin

"You cannot walk away from love."

That was the advertisement|in a Baltimore newspaper.

And that is how he found her.

She was a young woman|in need of a husband.

He was a man who wanted a wife.

Too late to talk sense to him now.

You can't marry her.|You've never met her.

I meet her today. The boat from America|comes at 6:00, we marry at 9:00...

...by 10:
00, I'm back at work.

Ridiculous. This is ridiculous.

A man needs a wife, isn't that what|you've been telling me? I sent for one.

From America.

What does she look like?

Comes a day in every man's life|when a band is playing...

...and he's the only one who can hear it.|Today is your day.

I love you, woman.

She is not beautiful.

She is not meant to be beautiful...

...just kind, true and young enough|to bear children.

Go on. The sun will be up any minute.|The boat will be coming in.

But what about love, Luis?|Doesn't love come into this at all?

Love is not for me, Alan.

Love is for those people who believe in it.

Let's go.

Why are you laughing at me?|You've been laughing at me all morning.

Never mind. You go! Go on!

No, this is not a love story.

Butitis a story aboutlove,|and the powerit has over ourlife.

The power to heal or destroy.

and this is where the story begins.

Mr. Vargas?

Luis Vargas?

You don't recognize me, do you?

Miss Russell?

Yes.

Julia Russell?

But this, this picture--

I've deceived you.|I'm sorry. I shouldn't have.

I was unsure. You see...

...l didn't want you interested in me|just because I owned a pretty face.

So I sent another woman's photograph|and not my own.

I see.

I hope you forgive me.|I meant to write many times. I tried.

But my courage failed me. So l....

And....

Now I stand before you as I am,|and you know the worst.

No, no.

Not the worst at all.

Only, not what I was expecting.

If my deception has altered|your intentions...

...if you're not satisfied--

No, it isn't that.

...l am determined to make my way back|to my home in Delaware.

-If you say so, I will.|-Miss Russell....

Miss Russell...

...you have been honest with me.

I will be honest with you, too.

I will admit to a deception of my own.

You are exactly the image|of your photograph.

Yes, I am.

But I wrote to you that I am a clerk...

...in a coffee export house. I am not.

I own the house.

The business is my own.

You did not want me|to be interested in you...

...just because you owned|a pretty bank account.

Yes.

Then we have something in common.

We are both not to be trusted.

Of course, if my deception|has altered your intentions...

...if you are not interested|in marrying a wealthy man....

No, I think I could manage.

If you could manage|a somewhat prettier wife.

I'll make the effort.

Miss Russell.

Mr. Vargas.

Now we have all the time in the world|to get to know each other.

No, not all the time.

We are going to be married at 9:00.

Then we'd better hurry.

"Take this ring...

"...as a sign of my love...

"...and fidelity...

"...to you."

Music!

Music!

Ladies and gentlemen, a toast!

To our groom and his beautiful...

...enchanting bride!

Will you dance with me?

Dance?

I don't dance.

I say you do.

May their life together be like this dance,|harmonious, smooth.

Dance for life never ending and--

Alan, enough is enough.

I'm almost through.

You're through now. Sit down.

-Good luck to you.|-Thank you.

Would you like to see the house?

Oh, no. I can see it tomorrow.

You must give me a few moments.|I'm shy of these things.

I will give you as many moments,|days, nights as you need.

When you want me to come to you...

...l will.

Not before.

You would do that for me?

If you say so, yes.

Then...

...l will say good night.

The room is there, to the right.

I think I'll find it.

Awake at last.

The day is half-gone.

I'm sorry. I'm not dressed.

I could wait outside,|but the coffee would get cold.

No, it's all right.

If someone brought me my coffee|every morning before I dressed...

...l would be very happy.

It would change the day.

But...

...you only drink tea.

I do? No.

When I wrote I worked in a coffee|company, you wrote back--

That was my sister.

She believed coffee to be a sinful|pleasure so I pretended to agree.

She read all my letters to you,|so I could not always be truthful.

All the more reason to forget them.|That's all behind you.

What do you think?

About what?

Do you believe as my sister does...

...that pleasure could ever be sinful?

Why did you choose an American wife?

Here, we are the past.

There, you are the future.

Why did you choose to leave it?

To escape the future.

To become someone else, I think.

I am someone else with you.

Someone more like...

...myself.

There, in his arms...

...she became someone else.

Someone more like herself.

I'm telling you, I've never been happier.

There's no such thing as happily married.

It's an oxymoron, like "happily dead".

I thought you'd be finding your way|back to the whores by now.

Seeing a little "Creole" time.

Not anymore.

You've had her for yourself long enough.

When do we get to see her again?

We're going to the theatre next week.

An American touring company|she wants to see.

Join us.

Soon comes the morning|when the knell is rung...

...to take my living breath.

Come, come, the night is almost done.

Satan is near!

The shrieking, grim and...

...hideous brim of hell to uncover.

Come, or you will share her wretched end.

Hellhound! Abominable monster!

Would that I had never been born!

Wonderful.

Disgusting.

Cheap melodrama.

Was it we who forced our way to you?|Who was it sent her to her ruin?

I...

...or you?

What evil thing has risen from the ground?

Father, let angels now have charge of me...

...encamped around heavenly company.

She is condemned to die.

She is redeemed on high!

Hither, to me!

Julia, my dear, you look flushed.

-Are you all right?|-Yes, it's the theatre.

I love it...

...even the cheap melodrama.

Will you excuse me?

Does she suffer from fevers?

She suffers from a little too much rouge.

Nonsense. A lady does not wear rouge.

No, a lady doesn't.

And a lady does not wander through|the theater alone, either.

Excuse me.

Perhaps you will find the second act|more appealing.

Excuse me, sir!|The public is not allowed backstage.

Don't touch me, sir.

That is my wife, damn it!

Luis, you've come to my rescue...

...just like a play....

What are you doing here?

Isn't it exciting?|Look at all these mysterious contraptions.

-Who was that man?|-What man? I was lost, that's all.

You made my heart stop.

Feel my heart. Feel how fast it's beating?

Christ.

You'll be the death of me.

I hope so.

Places, please.

Ladies and gentlemen, places for act two.

Take me home now.

My own dearestsister.

I can't understand why you treat me thus.|Itis many weeks now since you left.

In all that time, no word from you|to tell me ofyoursafe arrival...

...whetheryou met Mr. Vargas,|whether the marriage has taken place.

What am I to think?

I have contacted the embassy in Havana...

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