Testament of Youth

1 EXT. LONDON STREET - EVENING (WINTER) 1

In the enfolding gloom of evening, Vera is BUFFETED in the

crowd; people wave flags, swig from bottles, sit astride

each other’s shoulders.

Vera mingles in the crowd but seems isolated, as though in

a separate bubble. The sound cuts in and out, as though

she’s having trouble connecting.

2 EXT. LONDON STREET - EVENING 2

Vera is moving through the throng, having to elbow her way,

overwhelmed by the densely packed bodies -

The noise still CUTS in and out - as a sudden loud ROAR

crashes in on her

She gasps, turns - to see a MOTOR CAR, spilling over with

revellers. A WOMAN sits on top swigging from a champagne

bottle. A YOUNG SOLDIER, his head bandaged, sees Vera, and

leaps out.

He grabs her hands, pulling her into a hectic dance, as

others around them dance too. Vera SPINS!...dizzy, as faces

fly past her -

She’s trapped, the panic rises - she BREAKS FREE -

-Pushes through the crowd, desperate to escape, elbowing,

annoying people She

sees some church steps ahead of her, and stumbles up

them.

3 INT. CHURCH - MOMENTS LATER 3

Vera hurries inside, her footsteps echoing on marble. Above

her, a high-vaulted dome, ahead of her, rows of pews. It’s

another world in here, silent, dark, seemingly empty.

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Vera walks down a side aisle, and sees a rich oil painting

looming - Francis Danby’s “The Deluge”. Dark waves tower

menacingly in a STORM-RIPPED SEA, people are tossed around in

it like flotsam -

Helpless

Vera is pulled in, mesmerised, towards the image of

apocalyptic destruction -

And SUDDENLY

CUT TO:

4

SHE’S UNDERWATER -4

in a murky gloom, struggling against the water’s force,

trapped, DROWNING! Her hands claw at the fabric of her heavy

Edwardian skirts

CUT BACK TO:

5

INT. CHURCH -5

Shapes take form around her in the gloom - figures, kneeling

in prayer in the pews, women all of them, some on their

knees, others staring into space As

the air fills with their whispers -

VERA takes in the sight, her eyes flickering with panic, the

whispering sound magnifying in her mind -

We CUT back and forth between this and VERA DROWNING

-And she realises the church is full of them - woman after

woman after woman, like an ocean of grief separated from the

world outside - as WE CUT

BACK TO:

6

VERA IN THE WATER -6

Floating now, not struggling, as though she’s given up She

starts to sink, folding in on herself, but with a last

effort pushes up, and starts to slowly FLOAT UPWARDS -

towards the surface She

BREAKS through the water -

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7 EXT. LAKE, BUXTON - DAY, 1914 (SPRING) 7

Vera surfaces in a beautiful lake, shimmering in a spring

heatwave. It’s five years earlier, and another world.

She’s younger, fresher. Her face clear of the experiences

that have so marked her.

Vera swims, keeping herself concealed behind lakeside

greenery, spying on two YOUNG MEN getting undressed on the

lake side - her brother EDWARD - 18, private, artistic,

elegant - and his close school friend VICTOR - kind, soft-

natured.

EDWARD:

We used to swim here when we were

children...

She catches Edward’s eye, ducks out of sight. He smiles to

himself.

EDWARD (CONT’D)

Where is Vera? I hope she hasn’t

gone in yet, I completely forgot

about the rats -

VICTOR:

(disgusted)

Rats?!

EDWARD:

A big nest of them apparently,

we’ll be alright in the shallows,

but we definitely shouldn’t go over

there

He gestures to the water - where Vera swims out, happily

smiling.

EDWARD:

Oh no! Vera!

On VICTOR, down to shirt and trunks - his alarm!

VICTOR:

Get out of the water! RATS!

Vera waves serenely back, seemingly unable to hear.

VERA:

Come on in!

Victor RUNS down the pier, DIVES in and swims towards her.

He surfaces to see her grinning face. He turns, to see Edward

now fully undressed, who grins at him and dives in.

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Victor realises he’s been had.

BASTARD!

VICTOR:

He SWIMS back towards Edward - who feigns panic.

EDWARD:

Oh no! Help! They’ve got me!

Victor DUCKS him - Vera watches, laughing.

7A OMMITTED 7A *

8 EXT. EDGE OF LAKE - A LITTLE LATER 8

Vera is finishing getting dressed behind a towel held up byEdward. Victor can be seen further away, hurriedly pulling onhis trousers.

*

*

EDWARD:

So what about you and Victor?

VERA:

What about us?

EDWARD:

Come on....

VERA:

(non-committal)

He’s sweet.

EDWARD:

Sweet! All the attention’s making

you arrogant!

He sees she’s finished, flicks her with the towel, they playfight, as a shivering Victor comes over, holding his shoes.

VICTOR:

I’m a block of ice! *

Vera smiles, hands the towel to him, holding it out like acover for his bare torso. He takes it, grinning, and driesoff.

*

*

*

Edward, finishing getting dressed, checks his watch.

EDWARD:

Come on, we should be getting back.

VERA:

(disappointed)

Do we have to?

*

*

*

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EDWARD:

Mother and father are expecting us.

Victor pointedly takes Edward’s jacket and puts it on. Edward *

smiles. *

VERA:

(playful) *

They’re always expecting us!

They’re driving me mad!

VICTOR:

I like your parents.

VERA:

That’s because you don’t have to

live with them.

EDWARD:

And Roland’ll be here soon.

VERA:

(sighing)

Oh yes, how could I forget...the

perfect one. *

The two boys smile, as they gather their things together.

VICTOR:

He is good at everything.

VERA:

Including being modest, I hope?

EDWARD:

Of course.

VERA:

Brilliant and modest, I hate him

already!

They start to walk away.

EDWARD:

(light)

Give him a chance, Vera, alright? I

mean it!

As they enter the trees Vera lingers behind. *

She pauses, turns back to the lake for a moment -

Breathes it in one last time

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- The breeze across the water, glittering in the sunlight,

the swaying rustle of the leaves - the tranquil, mysteriousbeauty of the place - she smiles, loving it *

8A EXT. COUNTRYSIDE, DERBYSHIRE - MINUTES LATER 8A

Vera, Edward and Victor walk home across a beautiful stretch

of countryside.

9 EXT. MELROSE - MINUTES LATER 9

The three of them walk towards the front garden of MELROSE,

the family house, a grand, grey Victorian building. Verasuddenly remembers her wet hair, and hurriedly tucks it up,

out of sight. Then she sees -

Parked outside - a delivery van, with “Somerson’s Pianos”

written on the side.

Vera stops, dismayed - immediately looks at Edward, who lookssheepish. Fearing the worst, she hurries to the garden pathand strides up it, Edward and Victor right behind her.

VERA:

(furious, thrown back atEdward)

You knew about this!

EDWARD:

I knew Father wanted you to have

one VERA

You colluded with them!

No -!

EDWARD:

Vera goes through the open doorway, into the house 10

INT. HALLWAY/LIVING ROOM, MELROSE - CONTINUOUS 10

Vera sweeps along the hallway, towards the living room The

sounds of a heavy object being moved into place, theCLANG of piano keys -

VERA enters the living room, to see delivery men manoeuveringa GRAND PIANO, overseen by her parents, Mr. and Mrs.

BRITTAIN, and family friend Mrs. ELLINGER, with a teendaughter in tow.

Mr. Brittain is a self-made businessman, extrovert, kind, but

prone to outbursts of temper and depressions.

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