Original subtitles

Hello, Emmanuelle. Is that you, Emmanuelle?

Hello?

- Hello, Marie. - Are you on your way?

I'm about to leave.

Are you taking a taxi? What time's your plane?

- It's at ten. - You should hurry.

- I will. - Why don't I drive you to the airport?

- Sure! Come along, if you like. - Christian can come.

Not Christian, or anyone else. Just you.

- Around 11 then? - In an hour? See you then.

Paris to Bangkok takes 17 hours.

But alone, it seems like forever.

You're never alone in a plane. Same as on a ship.

Your worries, your love affairs become unreal.

- Everything is allowed. - It's allowed but not all is possible.

That's not true. It's amazing how many people screw in planes.

- I wouldn't dare. - You should always dare.

If it's true what you say, aren't you worried about Emmanuelle?

I didn't marry her to keep her for myself or keep her caged.

- No, you married her for her beauty. - Not at all.

I married her because no woman I know enjoys making love more.

Don't you think other men might take advantage?

I told you, I'm not jealous. Jealousy is out of date.

Look at this girl. Her skill is mixed with innocence.

It's no miracle. They had to learn.

- Do they do what you want? - More than that. It's a question of price.

That's what bothers me. I don't like paying for it.

Paying makes me go limp.

I don't think it's quite that simple.

I have to go to the airport. See you at the embassy at 5 p.m.

Okay, bye.

Always the same people. A small world...

...of ex-adventurers, public servants, diplomats...

All impatient to see you, especially since seeing your photos.

That's not true...

- You showed them my photos? - Sure!

I like showing them as much as looking at them.

Maybe more.

I'm very proud of you.

- Tell me, that photographer... - What about him?

Did he... Did you sleep with him?

- Oh, Jean, he never even touched me. - Really?

That's funny. I thought all artists slept with their models...

...before painting them. If not before, then after.

The poor guy must have suffered.

I rather doubt that. He's homosexual.

- What's up, darling? - Let's go. I can't take any more.

It's horrible. The child with the chicken...

...the beggar... I hate this place.

It's not all like that.

Here. Welcome to Thailand.

- Now calm down. - Thank you, my darling.

You'll see, you'll like the house.

You can live here for a hundred years without seeing the same thing twice.

I go by that street every day on my way to the embassy.

I don't see it anymore.

Come, darling.

This is Tim... Jin. They do the cooking.

Oh, no, not that way. This way.

And Ap... Noi... They're the chambermaids.

- They're lovely. Did you choose them? - Yes.

John, the houseboy. He runs everything.

Come and have a look.

This place is more than 100 years old. It belonged to a princess.

I begged her for months, to get her to rent it to us.

It's really lovely.

It's magnificent.

I never dreamed of this. It's amazing.

Are the servant girls as good as me?

No other woman is as good as you are.

You just say that to pleasure me.

Pleasure... pleasure...

Pleasure... pleasure...

Pleasure...

Not at all. I'm fixing my house up.

I'm happy here with Jean.

Just wait, wait a few months. Here, we have only one enemy: boredom.

And to fight boredom, one ally: making love.

You'll find out.

Unless your Jean suddenly becomes absurdly jealous.

No, it's my own choice.

Jean would love to see me in bed with his friends.

I never tell my husband anything. And he's not unhappy about it.

True, Richard always seems very happy.

- Hello. - Hello.

- I'd like you to meet Emmanuelle. - Hello, Emmanuelle.

Emmanuelle, you missed out yesterday.

A navy warship was anchored here over the weekend.

- It was marvelous. - I wish you could've seen it.

It had a marvelous crew, and very skilled at maneuvers.

Pity you weren't here. You'd have been a hit.

I was in Pattaya with my husband over the weekend.

- Jean's smart. He did that on purpose. - No, I don't think so.

Too bad for you. That doesn't happen very often in Bangkok.

I didn't go home for two days. Luckily, my husband Gilbert is very busy.

- They work so hard at the embassy. - How's your house?

- I heard it's lovely. - Yes, it's beautiful.

You should come over. Jean fixed it up.

- It's a marvelous place. - You know it?

Jean had me over for an evening when you were in Paris.

Paris? You'll have to tell us all your adventures.

You can tell us everything. We're as quiet as a tomb.

What is there to know.

It may sound silly, but while I was alone in Paris, I never betrayed my husband.

Incredible...

- Think she's as good as she makes out? - I fear she may be!

Oh, it's you. You startled me.

I startle lots of people.

You're very beautiful... everywhere.

But I wonder if you aren't a little liar.

What are you trying to say?

You've never betrayed your husband?

No. I haven't.

To betray means to hide. Or more precisely, lie.

Who's that girl?

Her name is Bee. She's outside our group.

Have you ever cheated on your husband with a woman?

Does it count with a girl?

Try it once with me to see if it counts.

I'd like to talk to you. Can I come by your house?

Do you know where I live?

- Yes. Tomorrow afternoon? - Sure.

My name is Marie-Ange.

- Hello. - Good afternoon. I bet you're Jean.

- You win. - My name is Marie-Ange.

I'm a friend of Emmanuelle.

I didn't know my wife had such pretty friends.

I'd like to be her friend. She invited me here.

Well, she's here. She's in her room.

- Go right in. - Thank you.

I hope we meet again.

Oh, it's you. I didn't hear you.

How lovely you are! Who took that photo?

A photographer friend of Jean.

- Do you have any others? - Others?

Other photos of you making love.

Of course not. What an idea!

- Know why I eat lollipops? - You like them, I guess.

No. It turns old guys on. You should've seen your husband.

- But he's not old. - How old is he?

- 32. - There you go.

- You were sleeping at this hour? - Yes, I...

What a huge bed. How many can sleep in with you?

Actually, these are twin beds that we pushed together.

Don't believe the stuff those girls tell you.

They're show-offs. They say nothing important.

They don't do one tenth of what they say.

- What do you mean? - The girls at the pool...

- Come on, let's go some place else. - Yes.

Your house is beautiful. What a great view!

It's very nice of you to come by.

Yesterday it seemed like you had something important to tell me.

No. I chose you, that's all.

- Chose? - Do you mind?

Oh, French magazines.

- Where are they from? - Jean got them at the embassy.

Your husband is very handsome. Can I have a photo of him?

I love touching myself. It's so good.

- Do you like it too? - No.

- You don't? - Well, yes, but not now and like this.

- You seem ashamed? - Not at all. But I'm a little surprised.

- You're so young. - I've done it since I was 12.

No one taught me. My hands found out by themselves.

I think it's normal. Don't you?

- How did you start out with men? - It was Jean who took my virginity.

The day after we met.

We first met at friends of my parents.

He arranged to meet me alone. He asked me questions. Like you do.

The next day, he invited me for a drive.

He pulled over in the forest of Fontainebleau...

...and took me there and then, in the car.

It's not very roomy, but it's not that unusual.

Statistics show that 11% of girls lose their virginity in cars.

What has changed after your marriage?

Nothing. Oh, yes, at first, it seemed funny making love at night.

Jean left soon after.

He wasn't afraid to leave you alone in Paris?

No, because he always tells me that I'm free and can do whatever I want.

In a way, it scared me.

Then it was true what you told those girls.

You've never betrayed your husband?

No, I said, I had never betrayed him in Paris.

I said, I had never betrayed him in Paris.

- What did you do today, my love? - Nothing. I did nothing all day.

No more or less than all my friends in Bangkok.

What is there to do here?

There are lots of things you could do here.

You can play tennis, golf or squash.

Go for a boat ride on the canals, visit the pagodas.

- Or make love. - Even when you're not home?

You're not my possession, you're not my beauty.

You are beauty.

And I love you.

If it's really love, how far can it go?

It wouldn't be a weak kind of love if you could measure it.

- Am I really the woman you want? - You're a lot more.

But I want to be even more. How can I explain it?

I think love should be something more important...

...and more intelligent than just knowing how good you can do it.

I'm sure the answer can be found in physical love.

It's a question of state of mind, of mentality.

- And a different way of looking at love? - Not only love. Everything.

I want to drink from you.

Marie-Ange got me sort of upset.

- Why Marie-Ange? - She's so precocious.

Does that little girl want to show you the mysteries of love?

Why not? I'm sure I have progress to make.

Things I must discover to become a real woman.

Your real woman.

Marie-Ange is so innocent.

I mean, she has no guilt.

Whatever she does, she does with purity.

Compared to her, I feel so full of prejudice.

You want to sleep with her? Is that bothering you?

It doesn't matter. I'd like to as well.

No, it's not that.

Marie-Ange, in a way, is sort of my teacher. Like you are.

She's so... natural. That's it. She's natural.

For example, one can say...

..."I dreamed of his nice nose last night"...

...but not, "He fucked me in the ass with his nice dick last night."

But you can say it. You just said it.

That's not the way to hold it.

See? Like this. And keep your wrist relaxed.

Oh, so pretty... You're so beautiful.

That's enough. My legs are going to give out.

Legs like yours don't give out. They're too beautiful.

I'm dead.

- Sweetie... - We'll carry on another day.

Come on, darling.

My poor little birdy, you're all wet.

- Apparently I'm free. - You are?

You can do as you like, as long as I can too.

- I'm that way with all my husbands. - All your husbands...

I'm your fist and only one.

- I mean future husbands. - Hear that, Emmanuelle?

I may become even freer. Just in case you're interested.

I think one husband suits me fine.

Look. Your young friend wants you.

Will you excuse me?

I've never seen that before.

This is Yves, whom I told you about.

Delighted to meet you. Jean's told me so much about you.

He doesn't know Bangkok. You could explore together.

- Actually, he knows all the dives. - Horrible. I never set foot in them.

At last, a virtuous man. How exciting.

Not virtuous. A hypocrite.

It's not his fault, it's his social background.

- Hello! - Hello, sweet nymph.

I'm kidnapping Emmanuelle.

- I found a man for you. - Who says I want one?

Idiot. You have to take a lover to become a real woman.

But I love my husband.

You're a virtuoso violinist fiddling alone. It's time you played a concert.

Promise me you'll do just as I say.

- And what's that? - You'll see.

- If it amuses you... - There he is.

- Who? - Mario, the man I chose for you.

- But he's old. - Knowledge gives you eternal youth.

Forgive me for not being seduced and sticking to my sad life.

Your conversation repulses me. All you talk of is sex.

- I'm tired. Good night. - She's angry.

- Hello. - Hello, Marie-Ange.

- This is Emmanuelle. - Hello.

Your friend's beauty far exceeds your eulogies.

- You can borrow her, if you want. - What if I don't want!

You have a lovely body.

You could say, "You have a lovely dress."

I'm not naked.

It doesn't matter if you're nude, only that I see you nude.

Don't I even get a smile?

- Let's have a drink and make up. - Why, did we fight?

Marie-Ange has told me quite a lot about you.

God, what could she have told you?

She told me about your little girl's game.

She thinks it's time you became an adult.

But maybe you're satisfied as you are?

- Not really. - It's very easy to change.

Will you dine with me one night?

You haven't answered me.

Perhaps. We'll see. Excuse me.

- Marie-Ange. - Well, how's Mario?

- What do you mean how? - Isn't he great?

I don't find him so irresistible. He waxes lyrical.

He loves to hear his own voice.

- Be nice, introduce me to Bee. - No way!

Ariane, I need you for a moment.

- Excuse me. - Of course.

You need me?

You're naked under your dress.

- Did you have fun after squash? - Yes.

- With whom? - I won't tell you.

Really? Now, what do you want?

To be introduced to Bee.

That wicked girl?

We're birds of a feather.

And birds of a feather flock together. Right?

Go and speak to her yourself.

- I'd like to talk to you. - Certainly, go ahead.

But not here. I'd like to meet sometime.

Impossible. I leave Bangkok tomorrow night.

- How about tomorrow afternoon? - No, I have to work.

You work?

You're the only one here who does. What do you do?

I'm an archaeologist. My name is Bee.

Yes, Bee. Like a honey bee. Because you work.

I'd never thought of that.

What are you doing?

It suits you.

If you don't want it, you can return it tomorrow before you leave.

- It must be a joke. - No. See you tomorrow.

By the way, where shall we meet?

At 2 p.m. down by the klongs. At the Watsai klong.

- Wat Sai? - Klongs, the canals. You know them?

Oh, sure.

I'll find them.

"Dear Emmanuelle.

You vanished into thin air.

I'll expect you at my home at 9 p.m.

I'll send my car for you. Mario."

Mario...

Bee...

Here, help me with this.

This way.

I'm sorry, I don't have much time. I'm leaving earlier than expected.

It was lucky we met yesterday. I never go out.

- A friend made me go. - The officer is your friend?

He was so insistent. He wanted to show off his new uniform.

Why did you keep staring at me yesterday?

Because you're so beautiful.

You want one?

And you, Bee the honey bee, tell me all about you.

That's difficult. I prefer to hear what you think of me.

Well, I think you're a girl who is happy in her work...

...and who never gets bored.

I like to be.

Are you married?

- No. - But you're in love?

No, I'm not. You know, I haven't the time.

When two men meet in New York, they ask how much they earn.

When two women meet here, they ask: "Are you in love? Are you married?"

- Funny, huh? - No, it's not.

You're judging me. Now I won't know what to say.

Then don't say a thing.

- And you? - Me?

Yes. Why were you staring at me yesterday?

Because I immediately felt you were different.

Different?

Yes. To the other women I meet in Bangkok.

Here, idleness is an art form.

But now I feel as though I've escaped from jail.

- Have you been bored? - What?

Bored...

Are you bored in Bangkok?

Perhaps. I'm not really sure.

I'm not bored right now.

- Are you all right? - Fine.

- Are you going far? - A two-day journey.

One day in the jeep, one on horseback.

Time to go.

I'm glad we met and I'm sorry I didn't have more time for you.

- When will we meet again? - Who knows!

- I don't even know your name. - Emmanuelle.

Goodbye, Emmanuelle.

Emmanuelle!

- I forgot this. - Keep it, please.

- No, thanks. - Please! It's my favorite bracelet.

No. Out of the question.

Goodbye, Emmanuelle. I like you.

You're a beautiful doll, but we have to play another time.

What are you doing?

Whatever I want. I'm a free person, right?

If you say so.

This is the first time she stays out.

- Be happy. You've got what you wanted. - What do you mean?

You wanted her to be free.

"She's not my possession, she's not my beauty."

Now you got it.

You actually didn't want her to be as free, as you claimed.

You want to dispose of her the way you do with these girls.

What is it? Have him come in.

- Do you speak French? - Yes, sir.

I'm to pick up your wife.

Tell your master he's unlucky. He's too late.

Too late.

Too late.

We'd better hurry if we want to be there in time.

- Is it far? - Not really.

But we've wasted a lot of time.

- You think so? - What?

That we've wasted time.

No. That wasn't what I meant.

Let's go.

- What should I wear? - Wait a minute.

Here.

Hi, there! How's life? Great night yesterday, wasn't it?

Your wife has great tits.

I never touched a pair like that in my whole life.

If I had a wife as gorgeous as that, I wouldn't waste my time in bordellos.

I have something to tell you.

Something I've said a thousand times but to only one person.

To my husband.

I think I love Jean as much as I could love nobody else.

That's what I thought.

He always said that love was a never-ending search for pleasure.

Pure pleasure, with a man or woman you desire.

It's funny. Now I feel there's more to it than that.

Take when I saw that cascade. I thought how beautiful it was.

But I thought it for you.

I told you, a cascade...

...is only beautiful if you can say so to the one you love.

Now look, little girl, I like you.

And when I say I like you...

...it means I don't want you to be hurt.

But it also means I don't love you.

Do you understand?

It's no big deal.

Let me tell you a story.

Once, when I was at school, I did a perfect dictation.

I was so proud.

My teacher accused me of copying...

...and refused to believe I hadn't.

I was so sad. So incredibly sad.

It lasted two days.

When it finally went...

...I was sad not to be sad anymore.

It's no big deal.

Well, the lonely bachelor.

I need to talk.

At this hour, I don't have much to say anymore, but come in...

...for a night-cap.

I just got in.

I'm afraid I drank too much tonight.

Gilbert's continues to party with little Martine.

You know, the consul's daughter.

She hates being alone at night. So do I.

That's why I'm delighted you're here.

But you seem to be in a bad mood tonight.

- Where's Emmanuelle. - I don't know.

And I don't care.

- You introduced her to Bee. - Well, if you say so.

Is she with Bee?

Then she'll come back. They always do.

- I'm serious. - That's your trouble.

You're starting to be no fun at all, little Jean.

Maybe I'm exaggerating a little.

You've become the laughing stock of our circle of friends.

Give me a hand.

I don't know what to do.

Emmanuelle played foul, she cheated.

Know what I think?

You're quite grotesque, my dear.

You're doing exactly what you accuse Emmanuelle of:

You invest feelings.

Do you even know what feelings are?

Instead of whining, you should teach her to behave correctly.

And if you're not capable of that...

...leave the task to someone more competent.

Mario... Do you know Mario?

He seems to be interested in her.

- Ariane, you're a bitch. - Oh, yes?

Then what are you waiting for?

You're a bitch!

Why are you out here in that getup?

No... No... It'll all be all right, darling.

I'm tired of playing a grown-up.

I'm no good at it.

I've been trying to take interest in their stories.

In their ideas.

But I can't.

I can't go on.

Calm down. It doesn't matter.

It's for the best. It saves you disappointments and hurt.

A normal couple, a traditional one, one knows compulsive relationships.

Their kind of love and passion isn't for us.

It's too sad, too humiliating to debase yourself in front of others.

Forget Bee. You have to forget her.

You'll get revenge in other arms.

It's the only way to answer her and it's what she expects.

I'll help you.

Yes. I'll help you.

Hurry up, will you?

I booked the court for 10. It's 10:10. It's always the same.

- Can't you ever be on time? - I'm always on time.

When you go, not when you come.

- What have you got against me? - Nothing.

Nothing. I'm just disappointed in you.

- I know what it is. You're jealous? - Jealous, me?

You mean of Bee?

My poor darling, you understand nothing.

Your affair with Bee is everything I hate.

I believe in economy.

So your violins, your tender music, your strolls in the moonlight...

...none of that's for me.

I like to be taken by surprise.

Did you know I made love with your husband?

I know. He told me.

How was it?

Unexpected. He almost raped me.

- He raped you? - Almost.

Help me.

- In what way? - Please help me with my bra.

I love your skin. It's as smooth as a polished stone.

- Let go. - What's wrong with you?

As you said, we're late.

We can play squash another day.

We can invent another game, can't we?

Let me go.

- You want my advice? - No!

I'll give to you just the same.

You tiptoe through life thinking everything is rosy...

...like a baby yet to catch a cold.

You've got to pay for experience if you don't want to be a statue.

If you want to live and to forget Bee you will have to learn a lot.

- Go to Mario. - Mario...

What do you all see in that old crony?

Yes, one can learn the art of the erotic from the old ones.

Art of the erotic...

Youngsters make love naturally, like eating and breathing.

But when make love at Mario's age, it becomes pure poetry.

You must want to, think of it, choose to do it.

That's eroticism.

Go see Mario, Emmanuelle.

I don't like him. He's everything I hate.

He's so vain. A Don Juan on his last legs.

Remember you promised Marie-Ange to do as she told you.

How do you know that?

She told me.

I want to see Marie-Ange.

She's on a trip to the sea with her parents.

I promised we'd visit her.

- You saw her while I was gone? - Yes, I saw her.

Why did you invite Mario?

He wanted to visit you last night. You weren't here.

So I proposed to postpone it till another day.

- And he accepted? - Naturally. You look perfect.

You're preparing me like a sacrifice.

- Aren't you getting dressed? - No.

I wasn't going to tell you yet, but I'm leaving tonight for two days.

You'll be alone with Mario.

You're beautiful.

It's the least I can do.

So this time you came.

Come, let's drink... to the law of the future.

Before drinking, may I know what this law is?

It states that one must make love without shame or constraint.

That virginity is not glorious.

That the couple has its limits.

And that these limits must be stretched to infinity.

To the law of the future, then.

Now we shall eat. Food is very important too.

Jean says there is something more important:

To have frequent orgasms.

I'm not afraid any more.

Fine. All fear should be totally abolished.

The fear of questioning oneself, the fear of being happy...

They all engender the values of a false morality.

Taboos, conformism, the refusal of life...

In a word: lies.

Come here!

Come!

See these legs? Do you like them?

Take them then.

They're yours.

Never give all of yourself to the same man.

But what do you want? What part of me do you want?

- Mario, let me go home. - What? Home?

Or be happy with what I am.

Make love to me then let me go home to my husband.

Your husband isn't here. He entrusted you to me.

What for? I don't understand.

I want to help you cross a frontier to a usually-forbidden land.

The land of eroticism.

How would you define eroticism?

Well, it's... How shall I put it...?

A cult of sensual pleasure.

Absolutely not.

It's not purely the sensual. It also involves the soul.

It's a school, an art, that serves to humanize sexual acts.

It's about renouncing subterfuge in favor of lucidity.

Well if that's it, it doesn't sound very tempting.

Basically eroticism is the opposite of making love.

It's notably...

...through love...

...that man strives to break with his daily existence.

It's the victory of dreams over nature.

I'd rather think of love simply as a pleasure.

Making love is not important, it's the way you make love.

You mean the 32 positions?

That's absurd.

But it's true that Orientals consider bodily techniques...

...as way to achieve a certain degree of fulfillment.

One must leave one's body behind to understand others and oneself.

We must loosen the bonds.

We must liberate the screams that have been silenced for centuries.

Destroy established values.

Fill your head...

...with sensations no one has given you before.

One must use the unusual.

The unusual which is...

...beyond all that is customary.

The wife impregnated in the nuptial bed has no knowledge of eroticism.

One must organize an economic adventure...

...without emotions or words.

An emptied head or the ego...

...has become fearful and avid...

...that death alone can satisfy it.

Why are you saying this?

No! No!

No!

No!

No!

No! No!

No!

No!

I waited until she was asleep, I left in the middle of the night.

I've no idea how I managed to get back to Bangkok.

Bee doesn't exist. You dreamt her.

I wonder if I've been dreaming for quite some now.

It's because we're living somewhere else...

...as exiles, we're reduced to futile pastimes.

Napoleon passed the time on St. Helena counting his spoons.

One mustn't become resigned at any price.

If you say that here, everyone will agree.

But if you talk of sex, it's a scandal...

...a break with ancestral taboos.

I'm a collector.

It's a very respected occupation, collecting.

I collect situations.

Take me now. You're yet to know me.

That would be too easy.

Let me guide you.

I'll make that ever the same moment unforgettable for you.

Love, true love, always fights against nature.

The definition of true love is the erection, not the orgasm.

Couples should be outlawed.

It should be compulsory to include a third person.

Wait here for me.

It's a Thai boxing match.

- Have you ever seen one? - No.

Then you'll be the privileged spectator of a savage combat.

You'll see it better than anyone.

There will be a prize for the winner.

Who is your favorite?

I feel as proud as that first time my blood flowed.

On my 12th birthday.

I hate all those stupid, stuck-up people who laugh about it like they're being tickled.

Yes, I'm a woman now.

Daylight is not for us.

You must see this night through.

What else do you want from me?

First, I want you to take off your dress.

I'm very tired.

- You don't want me, do you? - It's another woman whom I want.

- Another? - Another Emmanuelle.

One I am yet to see, one even you don't know.

One has to find the unknown by the unsettling of the senses.

Couples should be outlawed.

It should be compulsory to include a third person.

Couples should be outlawed.

It should be compulsory to include a third person.