Tess of the D'Urbervilles (2008) s01e04 Episode Script

We are gathered to join this man
and this woman in holy matrimony.
His name was Alec D'Urberville.
You bore his child!
Who's to say you're not more
Mrs D'Urberville than mine.
To go blabbing such a thing as that.
Goodbye, Tess.
I'm going to Brazil
as soon as possible.
No-one can love you more than Tess.
She would have laid down her life
for you I could do no more.
Ah! Can we help you?
Beg pardon. Excuse me.
It's a marriage licence.
I'm asking you to marry me.
Come to me, Angel,
and save me from what threatens me.
Know this one thing Tess
I will have you.
I don't like it.
I don't like it at all.
Huett, Lewell,
on the wagon with the others.
Durbeyfield, up on the platform.
Untie the sheaths.
No! It's too dangerous!
It's not a woman's job.
Why can't one of the men do it?
Perhaps you'd like
to take her place?
Very well, I will. No, I will.
I can do it. I don't mind.
If that's what he wants.
Get a move on, the pair of you.
I want that rick cleared
by nightfall.
What do you want?
I'm here to ask a favour
It's him again.
Tess's preacher.
Don't look much like a preacher.
You can come down now -
old friend to see you.
So, Tess, aren't you
pleased to see me?
I've been in London,
visiting my tailor.
Sack-cloth and ashes
didn't suit me after all.
What do you think?
I take it you've
given up preaching then.
I'm afraid seeing you again rather
knocked all the faith out of me.
Besides, the paradise you supply
is as good as any other.
What of morality, Alec?
The religion of love and kindness?
No good I'm afraid. If there really
is nobody to say, "thou shalt not"
then I can't warm up.
I'm not going to be responsible
for my deeds and passions
if there's nobody
to feel responsible to,
and if I were you, my dear,
I wouldn't either.
Which brings me to my proposal.
I don't like you working here.
It's beneath you
and I won't stand for it.
I've come to take you away.
Now, you say you have a husband
already, but I've never seen him,
and I don't know his name,
and all in all he seems
a rather mythological personage.
Even if he exists,
he is not here to help you. I am.
Come with me.
You've been the cause of my downfall,
you might as well share it,
and leave that mule that
you call your husband behind.
You little f
Go on hit me, strike me, punish me!
I won't cry out.
Damn it, Tess,
have I not told you that I love you?
Have I not asked you to be my wife?
Remember this.
I was your master once.
I'll be your master again.
If you are any man's wife,
you are mine.
You best get back to work.
Liza-Lu.
Liza-Lu!
I've been trying to find
you all day. I'm so tired.
What is it Liza-Lu? It's father.
What's wrong? It's his heart.
He wants to see you, Tess.
We'll walk through the night, get
there before Groby knows we're gone.
If you leave here without giving
notice, he won't give you a penny.
That can't be helped.
A whole winter's labour,
Tess, all for nothing.
If that gentleman comes
looking for me, tell him
Tell him my husband has come back.
And he will, Tess.
Any day now. I know it.
Izz
Marian
Tis the fat around his heart.
Like so
And when it closes over,
like this
That's it.
Off he'll go!
You were always his favourite, Tess.
In spite of everything.
Did mother tell you
'bout my scheme for living?
I'm sending round
to all the antiquarians
and asking them
to subscribe to a fund
to maintain me.
They spend money
on keeping up old ruins
and finding bones and such like.
Why not living remains?
If people
knowed of me, Tess
..I could be a living monument.
What if my John dies, Tess?
The lease is in his name,
we lose the cottage, the land
He won't die.
Something will turn up.
I know it will.
Liza-Lu, go inside please.
Your friends at the farm told me
that your that husband had returned.
But on investigation that
seems not to be the case.
What do you want from me now?
I've been thinking about your
brothers and sisters. Oh, no.
If your father doesn't recover,
someone will have to look after them.
I will look after them.
And I will too. No, sir!
I will not take anything from you,
either for them or me.
How damn foolish, and selfish too!
I have more than enough
to put you out of anxiety.
I can make your family comfortable,
provide a home, an education, if you
can just show me some kindness.
We will manage!
How? With your husband's help?
I have no husband!
Please go.
My regards to your family.
'Angel, why have you treated me
so monstrously?
'I swear from the bottom of my soul,
'I have never in my life
intended to do any harm.
'And yet these judgements come
and I am punished,
'again and again and again.'
'Well, I do not deserve this.
'I have thought it all over
and I can never forgive you!
'You know that I did not
intend to wrong you!
'Why have you so wronged me?
'You are cruel. Cruel indeed, Angel.
'It is only injustice that
I have received at your hand.'
'We are strangers now. Tess.'
It's that gentleman again.
This is very sudden.
Father's name was on the lease.
We could have stayed there as
weekly tenants perhaps, except
Except? For me.
It seems I am not a proper woman.
I have made "queer unions" they say.
I'm not pure,
and the village must be kept pure!
Well, damn their souls!
Miserable hypocrites.
You are the purest, finest
woman I've ever known.
But this purity, Tess,
it's a hard cross to bear.
I wonder if you have the strength?
Look, children! Here it is.
Our ancestral lands
for five hundred years!
Kingsbere, Tess.
Land of our fathers.
We have come home at last.
Of all the insults!
Of all the disrespect to
their elders and betters!
What is it, mother? They're gone!
Gone? Our lodgings.
Let them to another family!
Said he didn't even get our letter!
Where shall we go?
I don't know, Tess!
I swear, what is the use
of you marrying gentlemen,
when this is where it leaves us?
Here's a welcome
to our ancestor's lands!
And me, the widow of
Sir John Durbeyfield!
It's our family vault!
We own the freehold,
and we shall stay here till
the place of our ancestors learns
some respect and finds us a roof!
Why am I on the wrong side
of this gate?
Quite a family reunion, isn't it?
One kind word,
and I can make all this stop.
Security, comfort,
an education for the children.
You have it in your power
to save your family.
One kind word, Tess.
No.
I thought you might say that.
So I've taken the liberty of
speaking to your mother directly.
She was very pleased with my offer.
The children.
The look on their faces, Tess.
I'll send my carriage in the morning.
You'll be civil to me yet.
That is not my son.
That is not my Angel,
not the one who went away.
It seems that in Brazil
he contracted yellow fever.
Yellow fever!
Is it contagious?
Angel is lucky to be alive.
It appears that the worst is over,
though his body has taken
a terrible blow
which the sea voyage
has done much to exacerbate.
He must have complete
rest and quiet.
He asked if there were
any letters for him.
He was most insistent on the matter.
Angel, why have you treated
me so monstrously?
And I am punished,
again and again and again
You know that I
did not intend to wrong you
It is only injustice that
I have received at your hand
Why have you so wronged me?
You are cruel. We are strangers now.
And she never asked for any money
during my absence? No.
Of course she didn't.
She's too proud.
And you heard nothing from her?
Nothing at all.
Except
I thought perhaps I saw her once.
On New Year's Eve.
I remember because
it was your wedding anniversary.
There was a woman,
outside the church.
Very beautiful,
just as you described.
Your brothers spoke to her,
a little too harshly I fear.
I called after her,
but she ran away.
She seemed troubled.
That was her, that was my Tess.
It must have been.
There's something else
that we must tell you, Angel.
We had hoped to wait until
you were better, but
This letter arrived a month ago.
We hoped it might contain a clue
as to your whereabouts so, in our
anxiety, we opened it. I'm sorry.
Honoured Sir.
Look to your wife if you do love
her as much as she loves you.
She is in danger from an enemy
in the shape of a friend.
Sir, there is one near her
who ought to be away.
A woman should not be tried
beyond her strength,
and continual dropping
will wear away a stone.
Ay more, a diamond.
Signed
From two well-wishers.
Twowell-wishers.
Angel
I trust you bear
no hard feelings
about my marriage to Mercy.
I know that before your strange
union, you two were close.
Cuthbert, please, no hard feelings.
You deserve each other.
Felix.
Father.
Angel, are you sure
that you are well enough?
Mother, please, I feel very well.
Yes, but, even so,
you might wait a little longer.
It's been quite long enough as it is.
Bring her back to us, Angel.
We look forward to meeting her.
She's long gone.
Snuck away in the middle of the
night like a thief. When was this?
Back around mid March time.
And before the end of
her contract, I might add.
Good job I've got a kind heart,
or I could prosecute her.
Well, there must have been a reason.
Some yarn about
her father being taken ill.
You can never tell with her sort.
She wrote to me about this place.
This farm is a disgrace.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
You don't remember me do you?
We've had words before, you and I.
Best not start in
with me again, sir.
You mightn't come out
of it so well this time.
I'd hurry if I were you!
I'm looking for a family
that lived here.
Indeed, how the mighty fallen.
It was his dying wish
to be buried in his family tomb.
Couldn't afford it.
Even that headstone's unpaid for.
Are you a friend of the family?
I know the eldest daughter.
Ah.
Tess.
Do you know what happened to them?
Her mother lives in Trantridge,
raising chickens I'm told.
You might ask there.
Thank you, sir.
What are you doing here?
I'm looking for
the Durbeyfield family.
Tess?
I wondered if
Are you her husband?
Yes.
Do you know if she is well?
I don't, sir.
But you should.
Where's she staying?
I don't know.
Do you think she would
want me to find her?
I don't think so.
Mrs Durbeyfield,
you have many reasons to hate me,
but be assured,
I love your daughter very much,
and I believe that
she still loves me too,
despite all the wrong
I've done her.
I beg you, please,
tell me where she is.
I don't know.
Are you in need of anything?
No, sir. Not now.
We are very well provided for.
Sandbourne!
She's at Sandbourne.
Sandbourne. Well, Sandbourne is a
large town. Do you have an address?
That's all I know. You'd best hurry,
she never stays anywhere long.
Thank you, Liza-Lu.
I do hope you find her, sir.
Thank you.
I'm looking for a Mrs Clare,
a Mrs Angel Clare?
Visitors come and go every day, sir.
Without the name of the house
Or Durbeyfield perhaps?
Teresa Durbeyfield.
Durbeyfield?
I'm looking for one of your staff,
a Miss Teresa Durbeyfield?
We have nobody of that name
working here, I'm afraid.
We have a Mrs D'Urberville,
staying here as a guest.
You do?
Tess, can you forgive me? Too late.
Forgive my stupidity and callousness.
Don't come near me,
keep away from me!
Is it my appearance?
I've been very ill,
but I'm getting better every day.
I said keep away!
Don't you love me, Tess?
Yes, oh, yes,
but it is all too late!
I waited and waited
for you but you did not come.
I wrote to you, but
still you did not come.
He kept on saying that you
would never return and then
he was kind to mother and Liza-Lu.
Don't you see? Don't you understand?
He has won me back!
I am his creature!
He is upstairs
..in bed, waiting for me.
Oh, I hate him, I despise him now
because he told me
you would not come back.
Oh, my Angel, and here you are!
Tess, this is all my fault.
Listen to me! You must go away
from here, and never, ever try
to find me again, do you understand?
It is too late for me now.
I am already dead.
Goodbye, my love.
Who was it, my sweet?
Not your wretched mother, I hope.
I pay her good money to stay away.
Come back to bed!
Don't keep me waiting.
On second thoughts, go back down
and tell that nosy baggage Mrs Brooks
that her coffee tastes
like horse-piss
which at least has the benefit
of being warm.
Good lord, what's wrong with you now?
You lied to me!
You used your cruel persuasion
and you did not stop using it.
You used my little brothers
and sisters and my mother's
wants and needs and you told me
he would not come back!
Tess, calm down, woman! You taunted
me and said what a simpleton
I was to expect him until
Be quiet! ..I finally gave in!
And now he is gone a second time
and I have lost him now for ever
because of you!
Who? Not your husband! Your
imaginary husband! He's back is he?
Yes, he's back, and he looks as
if he is dying, because of you!
Mrs Brooks will hear us!
I don't care any more!
You have torn my life to pieces,
made me a victim,
used me again and again!
I am in hell!
I can't stand it any more!
Calm down, woman!
You're being hysterical!
Come here! ..Stop it!
Mrs D'Urberville,
a word please, if I may?
Mr D'Urberville?
I heard a disturbance.
Mr D'Urberville?
Angel!
Angel! It's finally over,
I'm finally free of that man.
What? I've killed him, Angel.
I owed it to you and to myself
for what he did to me
all those years ago. He can never
come between us ever again.
Can you forgive me,
now that I've murdered him?
Oh, Tess, tell me it isn't true.
It is true. What happened?
I told him that you'd come back.
He saw me crying and
he laughed at me, taunted me.
There was a bread knife.
I took it in my hand. I did it.
Good God, Tess, have you any
sense of what is right and wrong?
Yes! That's why I killed him.
Angel, you spoke to me
like this before.
Just before you left me.
If you were to desert me again,
I don't know what
No. Never again.
I will never desert you. Come along.
We should head to London.
The Channel ports will be
too dangerous but in London
perhaps we can find passage
to France or America even.
We have no passports. I have money.
My father will send it to me.
We can buy our passage.
We can bribe someone.
Trust me, Tess. I do.
I'd light a fire,
but someone might see.
I have slept outside
like this many times before.
While I was gone?
Yes. Tess, I'm so sorry.
I don't know what I was
Shh. Doesn't matter.
You're here now.
I kept it.
Wait!
Just one night, then we move on.
It's perfect.
We should confine ourselves
to one room
in case the housekeeper
comes calling.
Best keep the shutters closed, too.
I found these. There seems to be
plenty of fresh water.
Sometimes I wonder.
What?
If we had danced that day
..how happy we might have been.
I would have had years more
of this heart
..this face. Tess.
I am happy now.
Now that you've come back to me.
It's a fine day.
I think perhaps
we should head to Bristol.
London may be too dangerous.
We must leave eventually. Why?
Why put an end to all this joy? The
owners could return at any moment.
And when they do
we will leave, but until then
Come here, Angel.
I know that they will catch me soon.
I know that I do not have long
to live. That's not true. It is.
Don't say it, Tess. We will escape.
Angel. In two days, we'll be in
Bristol, then on to Ireland perhaps.
Let's not think of the future.
What will come will come.
I only want to think of now.
One more day.
Please?
About 50 of us set off from Rio.
We were all keen to begin new,
independent lives in this new Eden.
What did we find?
Swamp, as far as the eye could see.
Crops wouldn't grow,
the animals died
..food began to run out
..and then the fever started.
I saw mothers
trudging along
with infants in their arms
and the fever would take the child,
and they would dig a hole with
their bare hands, bury the child
..say a prayer
..and trudge on.
I soon caught the fever, too.
With the very last of my money,
I bribed the local doctor,
who took me by cart
to the hospital in Rio.
And the others?
All perished.
I too would have perished, but
..your letter
was forwarded to me
from the consulate.
And I read it.
I resolved to live
..find you
..to make amends.
Not a day went past
when I didn't think of you,
Tess, how cruelly I had wronged you.
Enough now.
Rest now.
Sleep.
Sleep.
(Angel.)
Hopefully they'll think we're heading
to London, but we'll head west.
We'll march through the
night if you're able.
We should find some shelter
for the nightsomewhere.
Angel
..do you think
that we shall meet again?
After we are dead? Tess, please.
But I do so want to see you again.
So much
..so much.
When I am gone
Tess. Angel
..when I am gone,
I want you to watch
over Liza-Lu for me.
This thing I have done will bring
hard times on my family
and I need to know
that you will care for them.
Of course. I swear. That's not all.
Marry her, Angel.
Marry Liza-Lu
and try to love her if you can.
And if you marry her, it will seem
as though death has not divided us.
Tess, don't ask this of me.
It's no use, sir.
Please.
Let her sleep a moment longer.
Have they come for me, Angel?
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Everything is as it should be.
It couldn't have lasted, Angel.
Too much happiness.
I am ready.
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive them
that trepass against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory