Original subtitles

(dramatic orchestral music)

- [Narrator] In a kingdom far, far away,

the king and queen had three daughters.

All three of them were beautiful, but while the charms

of the eldest two drew praise,

the beauty of the youngest was beyond words.

Even the guards when they met her couldn't help

but to compare her to the most sublime

of goddesses, Aphrodite.

(soft orchestral music)

The two elder sisters had already wed.

Not to just anyone, to noble princes.

But strangely, Psyche was yet to marry.

Suitors came to contemplate and admire her,

but none had the courage to ask for her hand.

It was said that the suitors were too over awed

by her near-divine beauty.

(soft orchestral music)

Meanwhile, up on Mount Olympus, she whom the gods had named

the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, was fuming.

She viewed this spectacle as an offense and sacrilege.

Down on Earth, her admirers were ignoring her,

believing they had found in Psyche a new divinity.

So Aphrodite hatched a plot to quickly get rid

of her rival.

(soft orchestral music)

With a click of her fingers, Aphrodite summoned Eros,

the god of love.

Eros was a god of lonely birth.

He wasn't like Aphrodite, Apollo and Athena,

one of the 12 Olympians.

Neither was he a direct descendant of Zeus.

He was conceived on the day Aphrodite made her

official entrance on Olympus.

To mark the event, a great feast was held.

Zeus invited all of the deities, even though who were old

and usually left out.

Among them was Porus, the god of wealth and abundance.

More than the other guests, Porus stuffed himself

with delicious food and wine served in honor of Aphrodite.

Then once full, he laid down beneath a great oak tree

and fell asleep.

Just then, Penia, goddess of poverty, made her entrance.

She had come to beg for food at the end of the feast

as her divine nature allowed, but when she set eyes

on Porus in all his opulence, she thought that she might,

by joining with him, escape the miserable fate

that destiny had cast on her, so she laid down beside him.

And thus, a few months later, Eros was born out of the love

between Porus and Penia.

Love and desire were thus the fruit of wealth and poverty,

of abundance and penury.

(soft orchestral music)

Aphrodite appointed Eros the messenger of love.

She inspired passion and Eros in the service

of the goddess had the task of forming couples.

With a golden arrow to inflame hearts

and a lead arrow to make his victims

forever insensitive to love.

That morning, Aphrodite commissioned Eros

to inspire in Psyche a hopeless, sickening, mad love

for one of the ugliest, despicable mortals alive.

A monster, she ordered, a hideous creature.

Eros obeyed.

He left, armed with his bow and arrows.

When he discovered Psyche, she was sleeping.

Eros stopped dead in his tracks in awe.

Never had he seen a being of such beauty.

Psyche was perfection.

He now understood Aphrodite's jealousy.

In his stricken state, he tripped and fell,

wounding himself with one of his arrows, the golden one.

So there was Eros, ironically madly enamored with his prey.

He returned to Olympus in a state of agitation.

He languished, aching with love,

attempting to keep his suffering a secret from Aphrodite

lest she become mad with rage.

(soft orchestral music)

Meanwhile, Psyche was no better off.

She was suffering too, but for a different reason.

She was becoming more and more tearful as time passed

and there was still no one in her life.

In despair, her father visited the temple

of Apollo at Delphi to consult the oracle.

How could he find a husband for his youngest daughter?

The Oracle of Delphi was the Pythia,

a priestess who passed on the will of the gods to mortals.

That day, a deity, or was it a certain goddess,

uttered this terrifying reply to the Pythia.

Psyche must be dressed as if for her wedding,

then left on a hilltop where her future husband,

a terrible monster will come to claim her.

(soft orchestral music)

The king was devastated.

Not for an instant could he imagine abandoning his child,

let alone giving her up to some fearsome creature.

Surely no father could do that.

And yet, knowing he could not disobey the will of the gods,

he led his daughter in her wedding dress

and accompanied by a funereal cortege,

to the top of a hill, and after, a final kiss.

Her tearful parents returned to their palace.

So Psyche was abandoned.

Suddenly, she felt a breeze.

It lifted her from the ground, carried her gently

into the air and through the clouds before delicately

posing her in a small valley on a carpet of green.

(enchanting orchestral music)

Barely had she regained her senses,

then another surprise awaited her.

(enchanting orchestral music)

There, before her eyes, stood a sublime palace

in marble and gold, set in a garden full

of magnificent trees.

The place was deserted, but the doors,

studded with gemstones, opened by themselves,

accompanied by soft, magical, welcoming voices,

inviting her in to visit her new home.

Strangely, Psyche felt no fear.

She began visiting the palace, going from surprise

to surprise, wonder to wonder.

That night, still in a state of awe,

she reached a sumptuous bedroom clearly meant for her.

She climbed into bed and immediately fell asleep.

Suddenly, in the middle of the night,

she sensed a presence.

Someone was treading in the darkness.

It had to be the monster prophesied by the oracle.

Seated with panic, Psyche threw off the sheets,

ready to flee.

Then came a voice which in a reassuring tone whispered,

"Fear not.

"I'm your husband.

"All I wish for is your happiness.

"Trust me.

"But one thing, never seek to see my face.

"Otherwise, you will lose me forever."

(soft orchestral music)

Psyche, astonished yet touched, promised to uphold

this strange vow, for the monster,

rather than terrify her, had comforted her.

The shadows slid into her bed, took her in his arms,

and covered her with soft kisses.

Overwhelmed, Psyche gave into love.

The next morning, when Psyche awoke, she was alone.

And she would be during daylight

for every day that followed.

But at every nightfall, her husband came to her.

She kept her vow to never seek to see his face.

And she even surprised herself by enjoying more and more

their loving embraces.

But time passed and questions began to torment her.

Psyche was suffering from loneliness,

and she missed her parents and sisters.

For how long could she live like this,

in this vast palace inhabited by distant voices

and an invisible husband?

One night, she begged for permission to break her vow,

not forever, but for just a few days.

But her mysterious husband refused.

Psyche persisted with her plea.

Finally her lover yielded, but made her promise

that she would give no answer

to any questions asked about him.

And Psyche gave her promise.

The southern breeze wafted her back to the hilltop

where she had been left, just a stone's throw

from her family home.

On seeing their daughter who many believed lost forever,

Psyche's parents were overjoyed.

A feast was given to mark her return safe and sound.

Her sisters were also delighted.

But when she began describing her magical palace

and the countless gifts offered by her husband,

they became green with envy.

With one treacherous question after another,

the sisters finally have Psyche admit the truth.

No, she has never seen her husband's face.

They begin to revel in their discovery.

He must be frightful because he refuses to show himself.

They tell Psyche about a terrifying serpent

which can open its jaws like an abyss.

They persuade her that one night, it will surely devour her.

(tense orchestral music)

Psyche was so frightened by what she had heard

that she became racked with doubt.

She wanted to know the truth.

On returning to her palace, she awaited like every night,

her husband's visit.

As per usual, he slid into the bed beside her.

But this time, after their lovemaking,

he dozed off.

Psyche crept out of bed, lit a candle,

and spread light onto her husband's face.

And what a surprise.

Before her slept the most handsome man

anyone had ever set eyes on.

But even more astonishing, this so-called monster

was none other than the god Eros.

Overwrought, Psyche's hand began to tremble

and a drop of hot wax fell from the candle

onto the sleeper's shoulder.

He woke with a start.

Their eyes met and in a flash,

furious at having been betrayed, he vanished,

just as he had warned her.

Psyche sprinted from the room, followed every corridor,

searching every room, scouring every corner.

Even the welcoming voices had disappeared.

The palace was plunged into darkness.

At daybreak, the despairing Psyche ran out into the open.

(soft orchestral music)

She finally reached a river and halted on its banks.

She broke down in tears.

Not only had she lost a husband,

she had lost love, the worst punishment ever.

Exhausted, Psyche decided enough was enough

and flung herself into the fast flowing waters.

But barely a moment later,

the compassionate river lifted her up

and placed her gently on the bank.

(water splashing)

Before her, a strange creature suddenly appeared,

half man, half goat.

The god Pan, god of shepherd and the pastures.

Pan usually liked to scare those

who wandered into the woods, but for once,

he felt for this young woman wholeheartedly.

If she was willing to overcome all obstacles,

she would surely end up winning back the heart of Eros.

(soft orchestral music)

Psyche let herself believe the words of Pan.

She continued on her quest, going from temple to temple

and praying for the return of her love.

But the gods were weary of Aphrodite's wrath.

Besides, the goddess was watching, waiting for her revenge.

Aphrodite still considered Psyche to be her rival.

She loomed before her, finally face to face.

The goddess and the mortal.

Aphrodite declared to Psyche that from then on,

she would be her slave and that she would be spared nothing.

The goddess pointed to a rock at the top

of a steep mountain.

Close by was a spring from which brackish waters flowed

down into the Styx, the river of the Underworld.

Aphrodite gave Psyche a small flask and the task

of climbing to the spring, filling it with its water

and bringing it back to her.

Psyche agreed.

She started climbing the mountain.

The summit seemed inaccessible.

The rough, slippery rocks were peopled by ferocious dragons.

All around her, voices rang out in warning,

advising her to give up her quest.

But she refused and continued on her way.

In her mind were the words of the god Pan,

willing her to overcome all obstacles if she wanted

to win back the heart of Eros.

Just then, an eagle appeared.

It was the eagle of Zeus, king of the gods.

Also moved by her charge, it snatched her flask

and flew off to fill it with the brackish water

before returning it to Psyche.

Aphrodite was furious.

First Pan and now Zeus.

She wondered if Eros could be urging the gods of Olympus

to protect his lover, but that would be impossible.

As punishment for having followed the Psyche,

Aphrodite had him imprisoned in a double tower

within her palace.

(tense orchestral music)

Aphrodite was even more enraged.

She gave her rival a gilded box and ordered her

to visit the Underworld.

Psyche faltered.

The Underworld, the shades of hell.

No mortal had ever been able to go there

without being devoured by its terrifying guard Cerberus,

a monstrous three-headed hound.

Reigning over the Underworld was a redoubtable couple,

Hades and his consort Persephone.

(dark orchestral music)

And it was Persephone that Aphrodite

had ordered Psyche to visit.

She was supposed to give her the box and to tell her,

"Aphrodite begs a little of your beauty."

(soft orchestral music)

The terrified Psyche was convinced

that she would never fulfill her task

and decided to free herself from Aphrodite's torments

by putting an end to her days.

So she climbed to the top of a tower

and was ready to fling herself off, when suddenly,

the tower itself addressed her and persuaded her not

to give up her life.

The tower even told her how to accomplish her mission.

To Cerberus, she should offer cakes soaked in drugged wine.

To Charon, the ferryman, two coins for a return trip

across the river Styx.

But most importantly, concluded the tower,

she must never open the box entrusted to her by Aphrodite

and must refuse any treat Persephone might offer her.

Because any mortal who tastes the fruit of the dead

will be condemned to live in hell for eternity.

Psyche acquiesced and ascended into the abyss.

As planned, the played Charon his due

and successfully tricked Cerberus.

The path was clear.

Soon, a vast room opened up before her.

Seated on her throne next to Hades was Persephone

who bid her come hither.

Psyche duly obliged.

She handed her the box and delivered Aphrodite's message.

Against all expectations, rather than punish the intruder,

the queen of the Underworld was flattered.

She who had been thought the most beautiful of all goddesses

now considered Persephone to be even more beautiful.

In a flash, she flew into the box, leaving a part of

her beauty and handed it back to Psyche.

(tranquil orchestral music)

On her way back, her task completed,

Psyche was overwhelmed with an irresistible desire.

What if Persephone's beauty were to enable her

to win back the heart of her lost lover?

She opened the gilded box.

And was suddenly overcome with dizziness.

(soft orchestral music)

She fell into a deep and endless sleep.

Psyche was dead.

Eros had seen everything and had to react.

He escaped from Aphrodite's palace and scaled Mount Olympus

to plead with Zeus.

He knelt before the king of the gods

and beseeched his forgiveness.

Yes, he had disobeyed Aphrodite by succumbing

to the mortal charms of the goddess's rival.

But Psyche, he said, had suffered enough.

Eros believed she was highly deserving of immortality

and he would wed her according to divine order.

(soft orchestral music)

Eros pleaded his case with such dexterity

that Zeus was swayed.

He forgave Eros and agreed to greet Psyche

as an immortal on Olympus.

Eros sought out his beloved, gently leaned over her,

planted a kiss on her lips, and Psyche awoke.

(tender orchestral music)

Eros lifted her up and carried her to the home of the gods

where Zeus greeted her as promised.

(soft music)

Aphrodite was also present.

She realized her combat had been in vain,

that it would be impossible to separate the two lovers

and so surrendered in the face of such infinite power.

(soft music)

Then, in the presence of all the gathered deities,

Psyche was invited to drink ambrosia,

the nectar of the gods.

Since that day, it's said that a soul

which wanders the earth in search

of perfect love will only find it in the afterlife.

Just as Psyche could only reunite with Eros after her death

on Olympus where she now sits amongst the gods.

(soft orchestral music)

(dramatic orchestral music)