The Debussy Film Page #4

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Madame Bardac and Debussy

stayed here all summer

and it was here he finished writing

La Mer,

his greatest piece.

- He used to listen to the sea.

- But she's not going to accept this.

What's she going to think? She leaves

her husband, her position in society,

elopes with this composer,

goes all the way to exotic Eastbourne,

and then he sits down on the beach

and listens to the sea - it won't work.

- You mean, it's all wrong?

- It's wrong.

- No, it isn't.

- Why?

Because she would understand.

She wasn't like Lilly or Gaby.

She was like Madame Vernier

or Camille Claudel.

She was very intelligent.

She was an artist herself.

- And she was rich.

- Exactly.

For the first time in your life,

you had no money worries

and you could concentrate on your music.

And just listen to the sea.

Right?

Right.

Good. Let's get on with it.

(Director) The Grand Hotel, Eastbourne,

It was here that Debussy came

to get away from the scandal in Paris.

Madame Bardac left her husband

for Debussy.

She was his new patron.

Debussy was no longer

an enfant terrible.

For 20 years he had been absorbed

in composition,

taking new ideas from poets and painters,

slowly working out

new patterns of music,

ignoring his rejection.

His work came out of this long daydream.

(Debussy) Music will begin

where words are impotent.

Music is made for the inexpressible.

I would like it to appear

that it came from a shadow

and that, from time to time,

it will return there.

(Director) And here,

with Madame Bardac supporting him,

he finished La Mer.

The sea, in which all his experiments

blended into a new and strong form.

(P DEBUSSY:
"La Mer")

(Director) La Merproved him.

From now on.

he was regarded as a great composer,

The listless drifting of garret life

was over.

The listless drifting of garret life

was over

and with it, Lilly.

He had married Lilly

and he had introduced her to his friends.

She was very popular with them.

She was excited by the new people

she met.

Life was slovenly and difficult,

but to her it appeared secure,

sophisticated, different.

But Debussy abandoned her

when he realised

that she had nothing to give him

and left her isolated.

And this caused a scandal.

It was this that forced Debussy

and Madame Bardac to quit Paris.

I have discovered you.

It was so charming, just the two of you.

(Chuckles) Just look at her get-up.

You've chosen well, my dear.

My congratulations.

And your eyes -

your horrible eyes, both of you.

Tie your tie again, properly, you idiot.

That's enough.

Get out now, I order you.

Or I'll use force.

I told you, I want to talk.

I'm going to talk to you

and nothing is going to stop me.

- Not even your threats.

- You're crazy, come away!

- No!

- Don't interfere!

Madame has a right.

We do owe it to her.

Oh, God. She doesn't look

a bit like Madame Bardac.

- I suppose you think you do.

- Shh! Behave yourselves.

They are giving

a special performance for us.

My most sincere desire

is to put right as far as possible

the wrong I've done you

and to offer you a life worthy of you,

and that of a kind

that your husband cannot afford.

I know this is only a small compensation.

Now it's charity!

And your charity!

I'd be ashamed to accept it!

But if I don't, I can go and die

on the bare floor. That's the alternative.

Well, my offer, as I see it,

cannot be called charity.

Believe me, it will be much more generous

than anything usually known by that name.

Huh! I should hope so!

You'd take everything away from me

and not do anything to make up for it?

Money? I should say I shall need money,

and lots of it.

You're rich, you.

When one pays for the luxury

of getting a man,

one should learn what it costs.

- Lilly!

- Congratulations, Madame.

On this ground,

we will understand each other much more.

Now, let's talk about the practical side

of it first.

- You will have a regular income...

- But I don't want your filthy money.

Keep it! Do you really think

I would soil my hands with it?

- Who wrote this?

- Henri Bataille.

It's called The Naked lady.

Most of it was based on

Debussy's own experiences.

Didn't Debussy sue him?

(Director) He couldn't do anything about it.

To have sued would've been

admitting it was true.

Oh, what a mess it all was.

Well, it's a bloody bore. I'm off.

Shut up and stay where you are.

It's just that one scene.

- (Whispers) I wouldn't say no to Lilly.

- For heaven's sake.

What must I do to remake my life?

Run from one man to another

to find one who will take care of me?

(Gasps) Must I return to prostitution?

(Whispers) I couldn't do it.

It's your fault.

You have given me a conscience.

What for, good Lord?

Every time I failed you,

you dragged me back to the heights.

Well, I'm there.

At last, I have become

the woman you wanted me to be.

I can no longer go back.

It's finished

and you have a duty to perform.

It is me whom you have to keep

and you are going to keep me.

I've made you what you are.

I have helped you to attain

a certain social standing.

I am leaving you on a higher plane,

which can serve you as a springboard.

Life is far richer in its resources

than you think.

You can remake your circle of friends.

Like everybody else in the world,

you can find a better love than mine.

And far, far happier.

My poor girl, if you know how I'm torn...

Torn to pieces.

(Lilly) You see? He has pity on me.

You are not going to take him away.

You are going to leave him to me.

You have no idea what you are doing.

Don't do this, don't do this.

Have pity on me!

Come away, let's go home now, my dear,

my love.

You do love me a little, don't you?

Let's go home now.

(Screams)

(P DEBUSSY:
"La Mer")

(Gunshots)

- Again?

- Yes.

But this time it happened

six months after you left her.

I don't understand it.

But why all the scandal?

I mean, he had done it before.

Other people had done it.

- And she didn't kill herself.

- I know.

There is so little real evidence

for what happened.

Maybe you were a swine with women,

as they said.

Everybody was against you.

They said that you had, in fact, told her

that she could always make money

out of prostitution.

Some people said that Debussy's father

robbed her when he visited her in hospital.

But this list...

This public fund set up

to provide for Lilly...

- Hmm?

- Yea

Debussy cut everyone who signed that list.

And nearly all his friends did sign it.

And what happened?

He never spoke to any of them again.

Not even to me...

Louys.

(P DEBUSSY:
"La Mer")

(Music obscures speech)

(Director) Madame Bardac

secured a divorce

and with it a large settlement of money.

Debussy and she were married,

but before the marriage,

she had already given him

his first and only child, Chouchou.

- (Debussy) I write only for her.

- (Director) A ballet, a suite.

(Debussy) To my dearest Chouchou,

with her father's apologies

for what is to follow.

But the first sign began to appear

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