Robinson Crusoe

[People chattering]

[Horse neighs]

[Boy yells]

DEFOE:
I am a journaIist,

Robert, I assure you.

I have very IittIe interest

in your fIights of fancy.

ROBERT:
You, DanieI Defoe,

are a writer.

It is your destiny as such...

to bring this

remarkabIe man's story--

a story of intense struggIe...

extraordinary friendship,

and undying Iove--

to the world.

Well done, well done.

Full of life, death, passion.

You could indeed

give up publishing...

for the stage, sir.

Tell me, though...

what relevance

has this fine story...

to an impoverished

scribe like myself?

Because, Daniel...

you are my favorite

impoverished scribe.

And what is this?

A recently-discovered journal

of one Robinson Crusoe.

Then this tale

you tell me is true?

Every word of it.

A travelogue

of a wayward seaman.

Read this journal, Daniel.

l am confident, sir, you will

find a great interest...

in the story he has to tell.

CRUSOE:
And so

my story begins...

Iike so many other stories,

with a woman.

For as Iong as I can

remember...

Mary McGregor and I

had pIanned to marry.

However, as the McGregor famiIy

grew more prosperous...

So, too, did the fortunes

of the Crusoe famiIy dwindIe.

As a resuIt, the woman

whom I greatIy Ioved...

found herseIf betrothed

against her wiII...

To my dear friend

Patrick Connor.

CRUSOE:
Though Patrick

knew of our IifeIong bond...

he refused to reIease Mary

from their arrangement.

lt need not end

this way, Patrick.

How, then?

Shall l cease the engagement

and disgrace my family?

[Both grunting]

Patrick!

We were friends once.

Does not that count

for anything?

[Panting]

We were friends, Crusoe.

But we are friends no longer.

Then we shall fight.

[Grunting]

[Horse neighs]

[Panting]

[Panting]

She is to be my wife, Robin.

lt is God's will.

You know Mary and l loved

each other since childhood.

MAN:
Patrick!

PATRICK:
This is not

your fight, James.

CRUSOE:
You're not

Iike your brothers, Patrick.

Don't be like your brothers.

[Gasping]

[Horse neighs]

PATRICK:
You wiII

never be together!

[Grunting]

JAMES:
Patrick!

[Gasps and grunts]

No! No, no.

Dear God, forgive me.

[Groaning]

[Gasps]

[Panting]

MAN:
He's dead, sir.

Murderer.

Take to your horse, sir.

l'll not leave.

Go, sir, now!

Murderer!

Uhh.

[Horse neighs]

[Panting]

MARY:
Of course he knew

I did not Iove him.

l told him as much.

Yet he chose to fight.

You both chose to fight, Robin.

What are you saying, Mary?

Do you believe l would

willfully kill my friend?

l walked away.

You accepted his challenge.

Would a wiser man have known

better than to fight, huh?

His brothers

will seek vengeance.

Ah, they have already.

He was my friend, Mary.

l would never have wished...

such a terrible fate

on Patrick.

MARY:
You must Ieave now.

It is not safe

for you anymore.

CRUSOE:
WiII it ever

be safe for me, Mary?

MARY:
Time wiII heaI

this wound, Robin.

I wiII expIain to

Patrick's famiIy.

They wiII come

to understand.

Go with the coachman.

You can trust him.

He wiII take you

to Edinburgh...

and arrange

for your safe passage.

Come back wiser

for the experience.

ln a year...l'll return.

Then we shall be wed.

lf it is 13 months, Robin...

then shall l marry another?

l love you.

l will always see

your face before me.

CRUSOE:
A year.

No longer.

[Coachman speaks indistinctly]

[Neighs]

[Chattering]

[Sailor yells]

CRUSOE:
And so I took

to the seas--

the one pIace where

I knew I wouId be safe.

[Sailor yells]

For many months we saiIed

the great oceans of the worId.

We docked at mysterious

scented isIands...

under the Southern Cross.

We swam with mermaids...

and we carried

fabuIous cargoes...

of siIks and spices,

jade and mahogany.

And once, even...

we carried

a human cargo of sIaves.

Providence had decreed me

a man without a country...

yet I was not

without a purpose.

Though I had formerIy

served in His Majesty's army...

it was my academic

background...

and my intimate knowIedge

of history...

that Ied the captain

of our ship to caII on me...

to chronicIe our journey

through the written word.

[Knock on door]

Enter.

Captain's compliments,

Mr. Crusoe.

Thank you. Shut the door.

CRUSOE:
Though Patrick's death

brought about my exiIe...

it was the thought of Mary,

of the knowIedge...

that I wouId have her hand

in marriage upon my return...

that kept my spirit strong

as our voyage continued.

[Sailors chattering]

SAILOR:
Aye-aye, sir.

CRUSOE:
Our IittIe ship

had met and bested...

fouI weather and high seas

on 3 oceans.

Sometimes the storms

wouId Iast a week or more...

but I grew

ever more confident...

in the skiIIs

of our captain and his crew.

[Shouts overlapping]

CAPTAIN:
Are ya

seeing the coast, yes?

SAILOR:
Up ahead.

Put your back into it, sir.

[Grunts]

[Thunder]

SAILOR:
CaIIing away,

caIIing away.

SECOND SAILOR:

Aft foIIow.

Batten down the hatches!

Batten down the hatches!

SAILOR:
Aye-aye, sir.

[Crew yelling]

Get over here!

[Captain yells]

Ohh!

Oh, God!

[Yells]

[Yelling indistinctly]

Ohh!

[Grunts]

Oh, God.

[Glass shatters]

[Captain yells orders]

CAPTAIN:
Get out!

Bring it around!

Bring it around!

Aah! Aah!

Give me your hand!

Don't be fooIish, sir!

Give me your hand!

Give it to me now!

Give me your hand!

[Both grunting]

[Yelling]

SAILOR:
Mikey, heIp me!

[Shouting and yelling]

Aah!

[Sailors screaming]

[Grunts]

Ow!

[Coughs]

Uhh.

Uhh.

Aah.

[Grunting and gasping]

CRUSOE:
As I took

my first steps...

in that unknown Iand...

a dread came over me.

I began to reaIize in truth

how terribIe was my condition.

Hello!

Hello!

[Grunts]

No!

[Grunts]

CRUSOE:
As I Iaid

my poor companions to rest...

I confess my thoughts

were for my own souI.

I did not know in what Iand

I had been cast...

in what country,

among what nation...

nor whether I might endure

a singIe night here...

Iet aIone a week...

or a month.

I spent that first night

not daring to imagine...

what dangers might prowI

or crawI beneath me...

and sIeepIess for thinking...

how I might survive

the next day...

without food or weapons

or human company.

But as the sun rose,

so did my spirits...

for then I saw

that the huIk of our vesseI...

had caught fast on the reef

where she had foundered.

On-board I might find food

and drink for my sustenance.

[Grunts]

And this gave me fresh hope.

Unhh.

[Dog whining]

Hello?

ls anyone there?

[Whining continues]

[Arf]

[Clank]

CRUSOE:
I found that our ship

Iay so on the reef...

that onIy haIf of her

was fiIIed with water.

The forward parts were dry...

and there I found

powder and weapons...

and provisions.

I discovered

the carpenter's chest.

Being a gentIeman,

I had IittIe experience...

with the tooIs of the trade.

NevertheIess,

there and then I resoIved...

that I wouId Iearn.

[Whimpers]

CRUSOE:
The ship's Ione boat...

had been dashed

to pieces by the storm...

but I found a part

of an upper deck torn away.

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