The Last Station Page #5

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for what you are?

If I had a wife like you,

I would've blown my brains out!

Or gone to America.

I hope you're feeling better.

Do you like the opera?

Yes.

I'm very sorry...

...about everything.

This aria is so beautiful.

It's about a woman who's been

abandoned by the man she loves.

Everyone finds that very moving...

...in the opera.

Our life together

has become intolerable.

- Sit down, Valentin.

- Really, I'm expected at Telyatinki.

No, please.

Come, enjoy your dinner.

We've just had a disagreement,

like all married couples.

Despite good cause for it,

I have never stopped loving you.

Of course.

But God knows

you don't make it easy.

Why should it be easy?

I am the work of your life,

you the work of mine.

That's what love is.

- I should go.

- No, sit down.

So that's what love is?

Does that surprise you?

I thought it might be

a touch quieter, but...

- God bless you.

- Bless you.

He's right, though.

If we can't live a decent, quiet life...

...if I can't work and find some peace,

then I shall go away.

- Go?

- Not to Chertkov, but I shall go.

- Go where?

- Dushan says you're killing me!

Then go! Go anywhere you please!

Go anywhere you please!

I hate you!

I hate what you've become!

- Countess.

- Go. No.

Dushan!

- Oh, God.

- Countess?

Countess! Is she all right?

Is she all right?

Sofya. Sofya, are you all right?

Open your eyes.

Open your eyes.

Oh, my back!

Oh, my back.

You're lying on a fork.

Sit up and you'll improve markedly.

If you'll be good enough

to take her upstairs.

Come along, countess,

come with me.

Masha.

I'm sorry.

It was terrible there today.

They loved each other so much,

I'm sure of it, I'm sure they do, but...

...you see what it becomes,

and you just wish that you could...

Is something the matter?

Masha?

I'm going back to Moscow.

What?

Chertkov spoke with me

this afternoon.

He said I could

be more useful there.

- Which means...

- Means he's punishing us.

He's punishing me.

He's punishing me for befriending

Sofya Andreyevna. This is Chertkov.

We've both disappointed him,

but I don't care.

I don't care either,

but you can't leave.

I'm going to talk to him.

I'm going to make him make you stay.

- No. I want to go.

- Yes. What?

I'm leaving the movement.

Sit down, sit down.

- You can't leave Tolstoy.

- I'm not.

- You can't leave.

- No, I'm not.

When I read his confession,

it moved me, Valya.

- Yes.

- When he was searching for freedom.

Freedom from anger,

freedom from attachment...

...freedom from all the superstition

and the nonsense of the Church.

I mean, it moved me so much.

And that's what I thought

it would be about.

I mean, isn't that what it's about?

Freedom and love?

They mix it all up.

Come with me.

Please?

I can't.

- I'm going to my room.

- Wait.

Masha.

Masha, please. I can't.

I need you.

I know you do.

I know.

A- Y. A- Y.

A- Y.

What was it? I don't remember.

- Was it your...

- No, no, no.

You rest now.

You rest.

Is everything in order?

- Good afternoon, Lev Nikolayevich.

- Is it?

Remember that this will ensure...

...that your complete works

will live in the public domain.

Monumentous.

Your works are the birthright

of the Russian people.

And now

they will possess them forever.

Yes?

I need a pen.

Of course, of course.

- I...

- What?

I don't seem to have a pen.

You're a secretary.

How can you not have a pen?

He's a secretary too. Ask him.

Valentin Fedorovich,

do you have a pen?

I...

Yes.

Yes, I have a pen.

Are you all right?

I'm a conspirator.

Nothing more.

Lev Nikolayevich.

May I ask you a question

that has nothing to do with the work?

Of course, my dear.

Do you love your wife?

You see,

when I was courting Sofya...

...she was so young and so pure...

...it just seemed impossible

that I could ever have her.

I didn't want to tell her how I felt,

and yet...

...I wanted to tell her nothing else.

So I wrote down a string of letters...

...and asked her

if she would decipher them.

At first, she was completely confused

and thought it was some sort of game.

So I gave her a clue. One clue.

"The first two Y's," I said,

"stand for 'your youth"'...

...and that was all I said.

And then...

...the most miraculous thing

happened.

She simply spoke the phrase:

"Your youth and your desire

for happiness...

...cruelly remind me of my age...

...and the impossibility of happiness

for me. "

The entire phrase, my phrase.

As if she'd read my mind.

In that moment, we both knew

we would always be together.

And for the first few years, we were...

...incredibly...

...terrifyingly...

...happy.

And now this.

I'm leaving Telyatinki.

- Really?

- Yes. I'm going to Moscow.

She's leading you around

by the nose, my boy.

Look, you say that the movement

is about love.

And it is.

The love that he teaches us.

The love that binds

all mankind together.

I've never met mankind.

I've only ever met men or women.

Imperfect men, imperfect women.

Yes. But Lev Nikolayevich

also teaches us...

...that love cannot be weak-minded.

It cannot be stupid.

Go. We will miss you.

Our naive sentimentalist.

Keep clear.

Give it to me.

Leovochka?

Kashnikov wants to buy the rights

to your work after your death.

Then I shall try and die

as soon as is convenient.

Oh, come on, don't be silly.

Come, look.

Look, he has offered

1 million rubles.

- How can you not be pleased?

- I don't write for publishers...

...I write for people.

- Well, where are you going?

Valentin is in the library.

He wants to see me.

Fine! Fine, go ahead

and let your wretched family starve.

I don't see anyone starving

in this house.

On the contrary...

...our privilege revolts me.

Well, you're the first to the trough!

Always have been.

What is it, my boy?

You look unhappy.

What do you want to tell me?

Sofya!

What are you doing?

How could you do this to me?

- You're not well.

- You just hurt me again and again.

You tear pieces off me

until there's nothing left.

I don't know who I am anymore.

I read your diary.

I know what you've done.

You behave like this,

I have no choice.

- Now give me the gun.

- No!

- Please, countess.

- Give me the gun, please.

I'd like you to stay here tonight.

Yes, of course.

Valentin.

- Get up.

- What?

He's leaving.

Pack essentials only.

Nothing that isn't

absolutely necessary.

Please, we must hurry.

- Where will you go?

- Your coat, Papa.

We don't need a plan, we just go.

A lantern, I think.

It's very dark tonight.

And the apparatus

for giving an enema.

Everything's ready.

Dushan, you all right?

Please, go steady.

You all right?

Papa?

He's changed his mind.

He's going back to the house.

Do you want to go back?

No.

This life is behind me now.

- Help me up.

- Yes, of course.

Give this to Sofya.

Yes.

Be well, be well.

Don't cry, don't cry.

I'll send for you when I can.

Drive on.

He's gone.

- For good?

- I think so, yes.

Oh, Sasha, darling,

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