All language subtitles for Portrait of a Marriage -1

Tower.

- They look like geese.
- Nonsense.

Geese flap their wings.

- No, they don't.
- Course they do.

Occasionally, anyway.

Well, they look like geese to me.

They say Hitler's waiting for the rain.
Do you think it's true?

Maybe.

God knows we need it. The ground's like iron.

Mrs Nicolson?

Mrs Nicolson? Telephone.

- Who is it?
- A lady, madam.

She wouldn't give her name.
Said you were expecting her.

Oh, damn.

Yes? Vita Sackville-West.

Lushka. Oh, my God.

Are you all right?

Where are you?

No.

No, I can't.

No, Lushka...

it's not possible just now.

I'm...terribly busy.

Yes.

Soon.

Oh, I'm so glad you're all right.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

Something wrong, madam?

It's not Mr Nigel?

Thank God.

Shall I fetch Mr Nicolson?

No.

Tell him I've gone to my room.

Tell him Lushka...Mrs Trefusis...

is back in England.

Tell him she telephoned.

I do hope you like it.

15th century, you know.

I stole it from old Joe Devine.

He said I could have anything I wanted.

You must wear it always.

And every time you look at it you'll think...

Lushka loves me.

Lushka loves me.

And I do, you know.

I do.

I do.

I do.

It's lovely.

Stop it, Lushka!

Now you've got to wait outside while I change.

Why? I don't want to wait by myself.

- Go on. It's a surprise.
- But it's dark.

- You have to.
- Vita, please!

Please, Vita!

Arnold Joost Keppel, Earl of Albermarle.

You look...

I'd rather have been a Sackville, of course.

- Am I all right?
- Oh, yes.

You look very pretty too.

And now I'm going to kill you
because you lied to me.

I'd have been furious
if you'd gone away with Violet.

Would you? Why?

Good heavens, I haven't seen you
for eight months.

We are engaged, after all.

Don't let's be jealous, please.
Don't let's hate each other's friends.

I don't, I swear it, I love your friends.

Even Violet?

Even Violet.

I used to play in here.

You're very beautiful, you know.

Do you care for me, Vita?

I mean really?

Of course I do.

Why?

Because you're so sweet.

And you love me. And we're happy together.

Is that all?

Because you're the only person
in the world that makes me feel...

What?

Makes you feel...?

I don't know.

Loving.

Mar!

Mar, are you all right?

Are you all right?

Shall I come up?

No. I'm all right.

I'm working.

She got out of France then?

Yes.

Are you going to see her?

No.

I'll come over for dinner.

Never worry
about what people think.

You are a grande dame and do what you wish.

Even when I'm married?

Most of all when you are married.

Of course, it's as well to make sure
you have a sympathetic husband.

Was Dada sympathetic?

Ah, yes.

He simply adored me.

Oh, I was hard to please.

But your father...

we had separate bedrooms, of course.
That was de rigueur.

But he made love to me everywhere.

In the library...

in the park...

in the barn.

Yes.

How sympathetic.

Then I don't understand...

It was terribly fatiguing!

And after you were born Dr Verrier said
my nerves wouldn't stand another child. So...

your father looked elsewhere for his pleasures.

C'est la vie.

I have this house, which I adore.

And a very clever daughter.

Sorry.

Staplehurst station!

- Staplehurst!
- Sorry, madam.

Now I've got you for two whole weeks.
I don't believe it.

All aboard now, please!

You look tired, Haji. Too much fun -
it's not good for you.

- No fun. Not a glimmer.

- Did they like your memorandum?
- Harding did, anyway.

"It represents a very able view
of the situation," he said. So there.

Aren't you clever, Haji?

"..when the fairies' chariots came into sight..."

"..like a flight of bright-winged butterflies."

Here they are - didn't I tell you?

He'd got it into his head
you weren't coming over.

Silly old chap. We always come over.

- Have you been angelically good?
- Well, we had a little upset.

A little upset? Dear me.
That sounds serious.

And Nigel? I saw him
in the garden without a coat.

I do know what I'm doing, Mrs Nicolson.

He was wearing a nice, thick jersey,
the one Granny Carnot knitted.

Well then, I'm sure that's all right.

Still working?

Mm.

Do stop, Haji.

I can't.

Very well then.

- I'm going to bed.
- Sleep well.

"Darling, come and peep in at my door

"and if I'm asleep, kiss me.

"And if I'm not asleep, kiss me all the same,
and then stay with me.

"Darling, how undull love can be,

"even when it's married and has two little boys.

"I lie awake for you. "

Mmm...

Haji.

Come to bed.

Mm.

Darling, you're tired.

Never mind.

Come to bed anyway?

Is something wrong?

Of course not.

- What is it?
- It's nothing, I'm just tired.

Haji, there is something wrong.

We'll talk in the morning.

No, Haji, now.

I don't understand.

Good God, Mar, neither do I.

It's a nightmare.

But I had to tell you.

Yes, I know that.

But how?

One only gets that
from street women, doesn't one?

Not from anyone that one knows.

It wasn't a woman.

I've never been with a woman, I swear it.

Then how?

Oh, God, Mar, don't you realise?
Don't you see?

You're the only woman in my life.

I adore you.

I worship you.

You're the mother of my children...

nothing else means anything to me.

But sometimes I...

It was a man?

Oh, God, Mar...

Do...

Do you hate me?

All the way back I was thinking...

hoping you'd just laugh and say, "Silly Haji"

and everything would be all right.

Who was it?

Doesn't matter.

Always?

Except for me?

Except for you, always.

But it's not important, Mar, it's nothing.

It's just a...

diversion. Can you understand that?

I don't know. Haji, I don't know.

That's the bloody irony of it,
and dragging you into it, you of all people.

What kind of treatment?

I don't know.

I don't know what they do.

We have to wait for the report anyway.

Maybe it'll be all right and you won't have to...

How long would it take?

The treatment, I mean.

A fortnight, he said.

And how long for you?

Two months.

If I'm lucky.

So for two months we mustn't...?

No.

Well, then...come along,
we'd better put you to bed.

I can't just land you with it.
I must try and explain.

No, please, Haji, I don't want you to.

Oh, I love you, Mar.

Do you mind terribly?

No, it doesn't matter.

I love the britches.
Terribly "Boyhood of Raleigh".

Are they new?

Yes.

By the way, Violet telephoned this morning.

I asked her to come and stay.

Oh. When?

Next week.

- You'll be back at work, I imagine.
- Yes. Yes, I will.

Well, that'll be fun for you, Mar.

I'm glad.

Mar?

You won't say anything to Violet?

No, of course not.

Wait for me, Medea!

Come on, Lushka!

Tu es folle, Medea!

Tu es folle!

Oh! Oh, I can't... I give up.

- Is your mother at home?
- Yes. But don't let's see her now.

- Whoo!

How I adore that place.

No.

If you'd have been a man
I should certainly have married you for it.

Well, I'm not.

Come on. Let's go.

- Ohh.
- Your maid is very well trained.

Do you often wear britches for dinner?

No. Do you mind?

You look wonderful.

I feel wonderful.

Do you remember that time when
we dressed up at Knole?

You were the Earl of Albermarle
and you chased me with a dagger?

You were so wild.

So elegant. This afternoon...

I watched you and I thought...

It is still there.

Still alive.

There's still hope for you, Lushka.

I'd begun to despair of you, frankly.

All this.

Dinner at eight.

Having to say good night to the children.

You're a beautiful barbarian, Medea.

But you're in chains.

- I rather like my chains.
- You don't! You can't!

What's going to happen to you?

You'll just shrink...

and shrink...

until you're that nice Mrs Harold Nicolson

who writes charming verse
and is keen on gardening.

Captain Trefusis, do you think you'll marry him?

Hm, probably.

One has to get married
if one wants any kind of freedom.

And Denys is frightfully amenable.

It'll just be a business arrangement.

Though he is very handsome.

- Doesn't he mind?

Doesn't he want you?

Oh, he's crazy about me.

He shakes all over whenever I touch him.
But he'll do what he's told, poor man.

I'm not noble like you, Medea.

I'm a cripple, morally.

Mean, lying, deceitful.

It's why I'm not a genius and you are.

It's why, perhaps, I'm happier.

Just go for what I want.

Yes, but you know what it is, I don't.

Don't you?

Oh, Lushka, it's all so difficult.

If it weren't for Haji I could do what I like.

Except what I like best in the world
is being married to Haji.

It's as though I were two quite separate people.

Sometimes...

I run...

and leap about...

and feel powerful...

and magnificent.

And sometimes I'm all neat and tidy.

Held together by Haji.

And I feel safe.

Does he know this?

No, I don't think so.

Although, he's like that too, in his way.

You mean, there's a Mr Hyde
under that pretty pink skin?

No, of course not a Mr Hyde.

He's sweet, kind and clever.

- A perfect gentleman.
- Yes, if you like, he is.

And he's a wonderful father too.

- Why are you laughing?

Cos if I didn't, I might cry.

Weep, Medea - lament, howl.

What's to be done with you?

Come here, I want to give you a kiss.

Oh, Lushka...

I don't know what to do.

Poor sweet.

Has he been unfaithful, is that it?

What then?

Come here, tell me.

Doesn't matter, it's not important.

He's told you he's homosexual.

- How did you know?
- Darling...

it doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter.

No, it doesn't, does it?

Oh, Lushka...!

I feel roaring drunk - we didn't have
too much wine at dinner, did we?

I love you,

I love Haji...

I love the whole world -

men, women, children, cats, parrots...

- Parrots?

Why are you...

so brilliantly...

sweetly, divinely, wonderfully...

clever?

I'm a ploughboy compared with you.

I'm an oaf.

Would you stop talking nonsense
and come here? I want to tell you something.

Listen...

I'm going to tell you why I love you.

First...

because we play a very strange
and important role in each other's lives.

We were children together,

so you've always been there
and I can't imagine life without you.

Second...

because you're so beautiful
I can hardly bear to look at you.

I know you think I'm talking nonsense
but it's true.

And...

because you're a conqueror.

Because everyone is vulgar...

petty, shabby compared with you.

Ergo, because I'm your slave.

And...

because you're a great poet.

Huge,

blindingly gifted.

The tiny world is at your feet.

So am I, my darling.

Look down from those Olympian heights, Medea.

Can't you see me?

It's Lushka.

Oh, God.

I've waited for you for so long.

Staplehurst!

- Good afternoon.
- Long Barn, please.

Hello!

Anybody at home?

Hello, Benzie! What have you been up to, eh?

- Nothing! Waiting!
- That doesn't sound much fun.

- Where's Mummy?
- I don't know. Out.

Did you bring my crayons, Daddy?

Yes, of course.

Hello, Nanny.

Ohh!

He's asleep.

Yes. He was very tired.

- Where's Mrs Nicolson?
- She said they were going to Knole, sir.

"They"? Miss Keppel's still here?

Oh, yes, sir. Perhaps Mrs Nicolson didn't...

No, I'm early. Off!
Let's go and find those crayons, shall we?

"Although Monsieur Van Swinderen assures me
that the Dutch will resist a German invasion,

"I must repeat my conviction...

"that such resistance is extremely unlikely.

"It is therefore..."

"..of the utmost...

"importance..."

..rather likes it really.

- Harry's back.
- Hello, Mar.

Haji, I'm so sorry, I didn't expect you till later.

I couldn't tear myself away after all, you see?

So I see.

You went over to Knole. How's your mother?

Still rather shocked. Her taxi hit a wall
and she had to walk home.

Walk? In the dark?

- Good heavens.
- She's all right, really.

- Did you see the babies?
- I'm going to have a bath.

- Do we change?
- Oh, I think so, don't you?

Of course.

I thought Violet had to get back this morning?

Oh, well, you know Violet.

Tell us about the war, Harold.
Are we losing it?

Oh, for heaven's sake, what does it matter?

Nobody wins or loses.

Just as long as we finish it somehow.

You don't really believe that.

Yes, I do.

- Why not?
- Because it's childish.

And irresponsible. You know perfectly well...

Irresponsible? Oh dear, oh dear.

Should I spend all my life knitting
and growing turnips?

- Don't be ridiculous.
- Children! Of course we'll win. We'd better.

I hear the Germans have got hold
of the black book.

- What black book?
- Oh, you know.

A secret file kept by
the Home Secretary or someone.

Apparently there are 4t,000 perverts
in what they call high places in this country.

Can you believe it?

Well...I'm off to bed.

- Good night.
- Night, Haji.

Good night.

Come on, boy! Come on!

I wouldn't care if you were married six times
or had 14 children.

I have more right to you
than anyone in the world. You know that.

You knew it the other night, didn't you?

You came alive.

- You were commanding...
- Mmm.

..demanding,

wonderful.

You were a Sackville again.
Oh, my darling.

To see you hurt breaks my heart.

It's like...playing Wagner on a penny trumpet.

It's like hanging Goya
in a housemaid's bedroom.

Do you think I don't know?

I've been waiting all of my life
to feel what I do now.

But now there's Haji, and I love him.

Not as I love you but I do
and I don't want to hurt him.

- Harold has his work, he has his lovers...
- They're not...

Yes, they are lovers!
Would you prefer to call them friends?

He expects you to give up everything -
your talent, your beauty, your freedom -

just to tidy his shirts and laugh at his jokes.

How can you bear it?

I've loved you nearly all my life.

A long time without knowing it.

Then years of knowing it all the time.

I want to give you everything, Medea.

Everything.

Without you there's no sense to my life.