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Belle Captive, La (The Beautiful Prisoner) (1983)
THE BEAUTIFUL CAPTIVE
A lost night, doubtless like so many others... ...amidst strangers who pretended to dance, to laugh... ...whose shadows appeared to step an uncertain tango... ...to vanish later, at once... I was alone I was waiting I knew not since when, nor for what I felt empty, translucent, out of place among these fake dancers Perhaps I'd idly drunk too much The Organization no longer used me, as if it distrusted me, useless me I was waiting I'd like a... tomato-vodka A Bloody Mary. Yes, sir Watching, thinking of nothing A pretty, laughing blonde... ...I'd never seen before in this club, which I often came to The tipsy stranger was being provocative I said to myself:" "Why not?"... ...thinking I'd nothing to lose I have no name. I'm sorry, I've lost it If I find it, I'll tell you I have a phone, but it's out of order You can't call me You'll only hear: "This number is not listed" Well, I'll find you... when I feel like it Perhaps tonight... perhaps never... ...or perhaps yesterday Time doesn't exist for me What horrible thing are you drinking? No, she wouldn't tell me her name Nor give me her phone number No address, no forename, no surname She was having me on I was wasting my time It was then that Sara called You're Walter Naime? You're wanted on the phone Yes, chief Right, chief In fifteen minutes, usual place The cemetery crossroads No, I'll leave now, I don't need to go home I've never needed to go home, nor anywhere... ...since no one expects me anywhere I was free, as required of agents, however subordinate... ...working for the Organization No ties whatsoever, and free to leave any time While I was phoning, my partner had gone... ...and I had no way of finding her Sara Zeitgeist was waiting to give me my orders I could not falter Good evening, chief You know Henri de Corinthe? The senator? The old majority. Contact him as soon as possible You'll find any excuse, any excuse Tonight if you can. It's a matter of hours ls someone in danger? In a sense, yes Give him this letter. Make sure he opens it in front of you Must he give you a reply? I think it would be best for him Good luck! The night road once again... the briey illuminated trees absorbed one irresistibly I put on the 15th Quartet Are you injured? Can you hear me? Is something broken? Can you understand me? If you can't speak, give me a sign with your eyes... ...or your mouth I'll help you get up Can you walk? I'll take you to a doctor What's this? We'll remove it later You're safe now. We'll get into my car First, I must take care of you A fairly long drive, that passed like a dream At last I saw the lights of a house Wait a moment An injured woman's in my car. May I phone? We're saved. You can rest until a doctor comes Gentlemen, excuse me, I need to telephone for a doctor This lady has been hurt Monsieur, do you understand? A charming idea... ...to bring her thus, her hands chained ...barefooted - Interesting, don't you think? - Yes, not bad at all. The most beautiful of captives offered here tonight Yes, but what can she do? Breaking in has its charms May I make a bid? - ls it a regular? - No, it must be a new one One must honour first fruits - How much does he want? - I think he's found a buyer already Let him state his figure. You'll do better, I'm sure Gentlemen, let me through What is he making her drink? I must phone for a doctor I am a doctor. Doctor Morgentodt Come, let us find a quieter place Wait here. I'll fetch my bag, I'll examine that Try to find some pliers... ...to take this chain off her wrists Help me, Walter. Come and help me Closer The villa seemed ravaged... ...as though struck by a hurricane during the night... or rather a tidal wave sweeping between the porticos and columns... ...leaving debris scattered as on Atlantic beaches I vaguely remembered motionless men in evening dress... who did not seem to understand me Their speech resembled mine, but their words held no meaning Neither did I recognize the sound of my own voice Outside, the cataclysm... ...left broken branches and fallen leaves... ...from the storm that had sprung up after my arrival Nothing else had happened Fact is, I had mixed my drinks in the club I suddenly remembered Sara's letter A vital mission, a message for the Comte de Corinthe Well, I'd go now Anyway, I couldn't have woken him in the night The Schubert Quartet cassette was still in place "The Pretty Girl and Death", or "Young Captive"... ...or something like that I suddenly saw her bound hands... ...her fair face with its mocking smile Had I also dreamed of entwining limbs, this burning body... ...insatiable mouth, carried away like all else by a great tide? I no longer knew where I was, streets too wide, too narrow... ...soon sandy, in this district I'd often passed through I saw a cafe. It, too, seemed lost A strong coffee, please Kidnapped on eve of marriage. Henri de Corinthe's fiance vanishes Fears for politician's health, stricken by sorrow and illness The young woman lived with him for several months. Identity unknown Weird story, eh? He must be a drug addict, or a madman, or he's hiding something He couldn't tell the police the name of the girl he's lived with... ...and was to marry today Are you unwell, sir? Is anyone there? Despite the Villa Seconde nameplate which I'd seen in the night... ...I hardly recognized this house of assignation... ...where I'd slept with de Corinthe's fiance... this beautiful stranger hunted by the police Don't wear yourself out pressing that, the bell hasn't worked for ages Perhaps the gate doesn't even open How do you get in? You don't. In any case, not for centuries I've never seen it open in the three years I've passed twice a day - But someone lives there? - Of course not. Who'd want to? It's absolutely empty The windows bang in the wind... ...inside it's in ruins, so it seems If you want information, ask the neighbour But I warn you, he's rather odd Good luck! Ask the neighbour But I warn you, he's rather odd Good luck! Excuse me... the house next door... The house next door... ...doesn't exist The house next door doesn't exist Excuse me, I wondered... ...if you knew a way of entering the Villa Seconde, next door The people next door, they're mad. Mad! Sometimes you hear them screaming all night, screams of... ...hysterical women Or they fight They play music, too. They must dance, or something What sort of music? Perhaps it's only the wind that you hear Or maybe stray dogs... ...hundreds of stray dogs howling to death all night long Calm down Who is this? - Excuse me, the house next door... - What about it? What are you doing here? Who let you in? The house next door has been empty for at least ten years - lf it's a rental, see the agency - What agency? I don't know, I'm not an estate agent You can see there are patients. You had no right to come in Forgive my insistence, but was it not you last night... At night, sir, I sleep But you are injured. Why didn't you say you needed help? You can trust me, I'm a doctor. Sit down It's nothing, just a scratch Don't be alarmed by the slight loss of blood Quick, I must do a coroner's report A vast, deserted beach In the distance the sea, a succession of breaking waves Quick, I must do a coroner's report In the foreground, red, half-drawn theater curtains Where from? What were they doing there? I was excessively worried by the memory of this image... ...as by a dream which recurs when eyelids are closed One feels it means something important... ...but one doesn't know what Sara had told me to see de Corinthe as soon as possible, I remembered... ...as if someone's life was in danger I'd wasted time, de Corinthe was the only way to understand my own story Monsieur Henri de Corinthe, please Monsieur de Corinthe is dead You're his cousin, aren't you? Heart attack The patient's state of exhaustion contributed considerably No doubt you collect postcards? Me? No, why? You just took one belonging to the late Comte de Corinthe I'm Inspector Francis We're seeking the whereabouts of de Corinthe's "fiancee" As his cousin, you can help us - l'm not his cousin - Exaclly as I thought May I ask what you're doing here? I came on business Quite natural. You were in business with the deceased Did you know his fiance? No. I saw her for the first time in the papers today Perfect By the way, the photo was wrong It's not the vanished fiance, but a former friend... ...who played a major role in the Comte's life The confusion is due either to a resemblance between the two... ...or to the patient's state last night A final question and you're free May I see the object deforming your right pocket? I hope it isn't a revolver Don't worry, it's a woman's shoe You're a fetishist, like everyone Quite natural A friend asked me to take her shoe to the dry cleaner... ...to have some stains removed Bloodstains You see, these shoes were worn by the lady we're looking for It's inadequate to accuse you of kidnapping... ...you wouldn't walk about with such a compromising object You just picked it up in a corridor You're a private eye, conducting your own investigation It's all quite normal. However, I must confiscate your find In compensation, these are for your collection Monsieur de Corinthe had a whole pile Billowing waves... ...at rising tide Shoe in the sand, painter's easel Red curtains, urgent message, for a corpse Sand, shoe and blood "My dear Comte, does this recall anything? Sara Zeitgeist" Symbolic exchange... ...curtains... from a theater What could I do with your letter? I couldn't give it to de Corinthe So I came to receive orders Why take the postcard on his desk? Why show me this silly picture? What has it to do with your mission? Is it a likely trail? Does it bring back a memory, or what? No, nothing, I don't know I brought it as the Inspector had many copies. It seemed strange... and I thought you might know why But I took the postcard... ...without thinking, for no real reason, no reason Be careful, Walter. You're hiding something No. Hiding what? From whom? It's true. I haven't felt at ease since last night... ...as if I'd been drugged at that club I don't know what I'm doing. It might be best if you... Now what's happening? Here I am Here I am, Walter What do you want of me? How did you get in here? What a way to welcome me... ...on my return from a long journey You seem afraid, afraid of me, your fiance You said you so wanted to see me again Here I am. Don't you know me? Do you no longer see the eyes, the arms... ...and the mouth you so desired? Don't you feel how I'm burning? Devil, in a wedding gown... ...for what ancient crime are you pursuing me? Are you mad? Why bolt the door? I couldn't open it The door wasn't... I hadn't... You're bleeding? Are you hurt? I must have scratched myself, fighting Fighting? Who? You were alone You saw something? You seem afraid. Like a child haunted by a nightmare No, I saw nothing special I only felt... I was choking, as if something grasped my throat Frequently? No. Sometimes, since last night See a doctor No! No doctors! Calm down. Seeing a doctor is quite normal What is it? Choking fits? Something like that. A sharp pain in the neck... ...as though I'm being strangled, then I fall, I'm drowning... ...but don't worry, chief, it'll go I must go back to the Matchu Club What for? I don't want anything now de Corinthe is dead Your mission is ended, ended by default Our plan failed I must go back. There is still one thing I must know What? I'm not sure, but I'll go Could you do me a small favour? Man to man Last night I danced here with a pretty blonde... ...a black dress, very transparent She laughed a lot. I must find her. Didn't you see her? Was she a regular? There were many people last night I had other things to do than see who was with who and who wasn't I didn't see any notable blonde, transparent... ...dancing with you or anyone Here is her photo in today's paper It's to do with some trifling story I know her, she often came here But she couldn't have been here last night Why? It must be six, seven years since she died in an accident Professor Van de Reeves' daughter The old man experiments in spiritualism - What accident? - Rather weird. Killed by an underwater fishing harpoon on a deserted beach Her body was never found She was with Comte de Corinthe... ...on a honeymoon, or something like that Gossip says the inquest was botched It's strange you've never heard that story It does vaguely ring a bell Well, the lady last night was so like her it was confounding There were many people It was found by the cleaner A drunk client must have hopped home I'd like it as a souvenir One of your colleagues asked the same thing Your inquiry seems to be advancing rapidly Now we have three shoes of the same pair Doubtless we'll find more I think someone who wants to confuse us puts them in our way You are, dear collector, directly involved in their discovery From there to participating in their distribution Contrary to what I said this morning... ...you turn out to be our main suspect And how is Sara Zeitgeist? You know Sara? The paths of parallel organizations constantly cross You are also in close contact with Doctor Morgentodt A strange man. Perhaps we will arrest him, too, just in case Now you seem to be interested in Professor Van de Reeves With his moving tables he may reveal the secret of all this To avoid fruitless searching... ...I've written down his address So, don't you dare to tell me clearly? You think you danced last night with my daughter, Marie-Ange Personally, I'm not surprised I was at the cinema last week and in the interval... ...I found I was sitting next to Marcel Proust You look pale Several people have met Marie-Ange since her death She changes little, it seems Proust had not changed, despite his illness He was with an elderly lady, my grandmother, I believe Alas, she drowned in 1927 You see, my dear sir... ...most of the people you see in the street are dead That explains the crowds everywhere So as not to cause outrage, they dress like you and me More or less Are you unwell? No, it's nothing, just an empty stomach Stomach empty, head too full You'd better eat here before you go You could even sleep here. I have a room nearby, waiting for you Otherwise, you may lose your way at night... ...in this forlorn, badly lit suburb... ...which lacks signposts That's true, I'm exhausted. I gratefully accept your offer The door is at the end... With relief... or apprehension... or hope... ...on your right ...or with deep anguish... or suddenly recovered calm Is it you, Walter? Is it you, Walter? Come to spend the night in my house? You're so far away... Walter, so far away... Come closer Where is he? The final scene... ...with the soldiers... ...on that empty beach There's a noise, interference like a roaring engine It's disturbing the execution I thought you'd be here I wasn't sure. You told me... Would I be here if we were to meet elsewhere? Of course Unless another power is controlling us... ...manipulating us What are you saying? I feel... ...I'm going through the same places, as if in a bad dream... ...or along a blind road You're mad, my poor Walter I don't know whether you worry me or exasperate me Where did you sleep? I called you everywhere I slept at a madman's... ...but nothing interesting happened That's all I know Forget it I can't Why show the Comte de Corinthe a photo of a bloodied shoe? To refresh his memory A political enemy thinks he murdered, six or seven years ago... ...a mistress he introduced as his fiance He then disguised his crime as an accident It happened on a deserted beach in the South Atlantic... ...near Uruguay Now he's dead, too, it doesn't matter much One never knows what matters or not You should rest That's right, I'm going to sleep Always punctual Your mission is ended, ended by default What a nightmare You commanded the firing squad that was to shoot me It was on the beach, once again... ...at rising tide Always the same beach with fine sand... ...and the waves breaking... ...one after another You were parading in black leather on a huge motorbike I must have heard street noises in my dream There was a mad doctor... ...trying out parapsychological experiments on me... ...or seeking secret ways to the Beyond, that sort of nonsense I also recall. ...vaguely... I don't know, I don't remember Are you tired? No, in great shape. Well, I did sleep rather badly On the beach, large red curtains half drawn It could have been a stage You screamed. It frightened me You screamed a lot, like a child haunted by a nightmare That's funny In my dream I tried to shout, but no sound came Invisible hands grasped my throat Now I imagine that I, too, was dreaming Your long shout was in my dream I think it was You never dream There are no people who don't dream Sure you're all right? Want me to get up? No, what for? I'll have a coffee in the cafe. I'll call you later Just as you like - When do the removal men come? - Nine-thirty, they said If you need me, call me The Angel of Death. No one knows in advance what face it will have When it first appears... ...no one can recognize it It may be a gentle, tender face When one discovers what it hides it is already too late |
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